56 



EASTERN GEOGRAPHY. 



is accompanied by dry weather and fool breezes. During the months 

 of March and April, between these two seasons, the heats are most 

 oppressive. Yet even at this period the thermometer seldom rises 

 above 93° F, At Bangkok, usually oscillat in-between 82° and 85* F., 

 And in the dry winter uea^on falling occasionally as low as 54° at 

 night. At Hu£, in Annam, the lowest recorded hoy been 62* t and at 

 Saigon 64°, the mean temperature of the latter place being as high 

 fee 80°, Tonkin and the interior of Siarn are much cooler, the glass 

 frilling to both regions to 47% rind even 45° in winter. On the other 

 band, those countries are subject to more interna beat*, so that the 

 further we proceed north the climate becomes more continental that 

 is, presents greater extremes of heat and cold from season to season. 



The mean rainfall, heaviest on the west coast (200 to 240 inches), 

 diminishes to 70 at Saigon and GO at Bangkok. A great contrast is also 

 presented between the two slopes of the nmgf separating the Mckhong basin 

 from Annam and Tonkin, Thu vast aide, uxpu&ed to thu drier north-cant 

 monsoon , is in many places arid and bare of Umber, while on the opposite 

 elope s, rich vegutatian is jtttppnrfed hy the mowt aouth-wpytem trade 

 winds. 



Flora.. — On the whole the Indo-Chinese flora oarrerpomls with 

 that of India proper* The forests and j tingle of Burnish present 

 the same variety of plants, and yield for human food and industry 

 nearly the same cereals, fibres* gums, and other essences. Here the 

 chief cultivated species are rice, of which Bnrtnah is one of the 

 great store-houses ; dam, a kind of palm which yields s< II the sugar 

 required for the boa] consumption ; insure, millet, sessaimnn, pulse, 

 cotton; bananas and other fruits ; tea, coffee, cinchona, and tobacco* 

 the cultivation of which is steadily increasing. Whenever the 

 Country is Opened up the Burmese forests will yield an inexhaustible 

 supply of all hinds of useful timber to human industry. Here 

 flourish the close-grained teak, various plants yielding gum*, lacquer, 

 and oil, and on the coastlands the magnificent Amherstia twbUu, 

 with its red and golden flowers. 



The Siamese flora, substantially the same as that of Burmoli, also 

 includes a considerable number of Chinese species, thus showing a 

 gradual transition between the vegetable Kingdoms of the northern 

 and southern, regions, In the eastern uplands, between the Mekbong 

 ba&in and Annam Himalayan, Chinese and even Japanese varieties 

 are found intermingled with those o£ the peninsula, and here are 

 also met anemones, saxifrages, and violets like those of western 

 Europe, The flora of Tonkin and Cochin-China is altogether ex- 

 tremely rich, the botanical explorations organised Bince the French 

 Conquest having already discovered over 12,000 species. Patadancs 



