340 



JYotes on the Climafe of Coorg.' 



[Oct. 



To come to the more immediate subject of these rough and hasty 

 notes — the climate of Coorg is materially modified by the following 

 circumstances : 



1st. The height above the level of the sea, the country in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Mercara being, at a rough estimate, about four thousand 

 five hundred feet above the sea, and the valley between that andNack- 

 naad about three thousand seven hundred or three thousand nine hun- 

 dred.* 



2dly. Its vicinity to the western coast. 



3dhj. The abrupt rise of the mountains on the western side. 



Athly. The valleys between the ridges being all open to the north- 

 west and south-east. 



Accordingly, we find that the temperature is much below that of 

 either Malabar or Mysore, that the monsoon rains fall with great vio- 

 lence, and last for nearly half the year ; and, finally, that the tempera- 

 ture is remarkable for its equability. 



Temperature. — The temperature of Coorg is one of the most mode- 

 rate and equable in the world, the daihj range in doors never exceeding 

 6° or 8», often not beyond 2°, and the thermometer seldom rising 

 higher than 74° nor sinking below 60°. In the open air, the range is a 

 little higher during the dry season, the daily extremes being between 

 52° or 53° and 68° or 70° ; the annual extremes are probably 52° and 

 82°. The want of a maximum and minimum thermometer, prevents 

 my even guessing at the mean annual temperature, but it cannot ex- 

 ceed 65° or 66°. 



Pressure. — The maximum of the barometer occurs, during the dry 

 season, the highest noted being 26=220, and the lowest in July during 

 the monsoon 25.912. The greatest daily range observed was .076, the 

 mean daily range, which is very regular, .050. The diurnal maximum, 

 occurs at 10 a. m., the minimum at 5 p. m. with such regularity, that I 

 have often detected an error in the supposed time by looking at 

 the barometer at these hours. The barometer appears to offer no 



* These must be taken as merely approximative, both of the barometers in my possess 

 sion being liable to doubts of their accuracy, as to the absolute height. The following are 

 the heights of some of the principal points, as deduced from the temperature at which 

 water boiled, corrected by Prinsep's fables. The thermometer employed was a very 

 accurate one by Dollond, and on comparing the results with the elevations of the princi- 

 pal mountains ascertained trigonometrically, I consider them nearly correct, 



Mercara - - feet 4506 



Naknaad palace - 3979 



Soorlaby (northern range) 4527 



Bittatoor (near Mercara) 4824 



Veerajenderpett - - 3399 



