356 



CANDAIIAR CLIMATE. 



year ago, three maunds of barley, and four of wheat were sold for a 

 rupee. 



Iris odora, Soosumbur ; (the two kinds, and Datura has the same 

 name) is indigenous. 



The timber trees, or rather trees not producing fruit, and which 

 the Moolla thinks very lightly of, are the Chenar, (plane) Pudda, 

 (Poplar ?), Baid, Sofaida. 



The fig trees are often planted in rows, they are very umbrageous, 

 and look very healthy. These, and the mulberry, are the most 

 common ; next are the bullace and damson. Neither are worth intro- 

 ducing to India, nor have I seen any thing yet in the country that is so. 



It is certainly the interest of the inhabitants to keep the army 

 here as long as our commissariat places so many rupees in their 

 hands. It may indeed be questionable whether with an overpowering 

 army, the rates paid for grain and other supplies for the troops 

 should not be established by authority rather than advancing money 

 for grain at exorbitant rates, when the crops are entirely within the 

 command of foraging parties. Atta now sells at two and three- 

 quarter seers the rupee, a mere nominal fall, for the dealers will only 

 give fifteen annas for a Company's rupee. 



There is a curious hazy appearance of the atmosphere over the 

 city in the evening, occasioned by fine dusty particles from cattle, 

 suspended in air ; which, from their fineness, are long in subsiding. 



This curious hazy weather increases daily, yesterday evening was 

 very cloudy, and this morning the wind rather strong and southerly 

 up to 8 a. m. : and at b\ p. m. the sun is either quite obscured, or the 

 light so diminished, that the eye rests without inconvenience on his 

 image. In the morning the wind strengthens as the sun attains 

 height and power. 



The old Moolla says that this weather commences in Khorassan 

 with the setting in of the periodical rains in the north-western 

 provinces of India, and continues with them. From the direction 

 of the wind it is probably connected with the commencement of 

 the south-west monsoon at Bombay, for the rains at Delhi do not 

 commence before June. 



The haze is so strong at times that hills within three to five 

 miles are quite obscured ; it tends to diminish the temperature 

 considerably, especially between seven and eight of a morning : curi- 

 ous gusts of hot winds are observed, even when the general nature 

 of the wind is cool. 



