442 



Notes 071 the Influence 



[No. 36, 



Similar phenomena are constantly observed when the air is full of 

 moisture, after the rainy seasons of India. One of the most mark- 

 ed instances which have fallen under my own observation, however, 

 was one morning in 1838 to the westward of Secunderabad. The 

 first hour's ride lay over a bare plain, the sand on which betrayed no 

 appearance of moisture, but on entering a plantation enveloped in a 

 fog my clothes were soon saturated by the fog, which existed there, 

 being condensed by the leaves overhead. In the islands lying in 

 the tract of the south-east trade winds, their mountain summits 

 covered with wood are formed by the leaves and branches into an 

 unceasing condensing apparatus, while the closeness of the trees and 

 the dense foliage prevent the ground they shade ever drying. This 

 was finely shown to me in December, 1834, when in the Isle of 

 France. At sunrise along with some companions, I left the plains 

 on which were growing the orange, the pine-apple, and the palm trees 

 of the tropics, and advancing up the mountain we first passed over 

 ground cleared of wood where the sheep of the farmers were grazing, 

 and then entering upon a small tract which led directly up- the moun- 

 tain we soon became involved in the gloom caused by the shade of the 

 gigantic black wood trees which grow there. We passed by seve- 

 ral immense masses of rock which having been detached by some 

 accident from a higher situation, had come sweeping down the moun- 

 tain's side, leaving in their tracts uprooted and overthrown trees. 



Shortly after we entered this forest it rained for a short time but 

 soon cleared up ; but when we had almost reached the summit a fog 

 so dense came on that our party wandered from the road, this fog 

 was so fast condensed by the leaves of the trees that the drops fell 

 from them much more rapidly than the rain had fallen, and before 

 the slaves, who were our guides, could extricate us from the forest, 

 we were completely drenched. I had gone up with the intention of 

 collecting specimens and had only obtained one (the hedgehog of 

 tropical climates and supposed peculiar to Madagascar) when this 

 condensation of vapour commenced, and while being thus drenched 

 from the fog on the summit of the hill the sun was shining on the 

 plains and the reports from the fowling pieces of the sportsmen there 

 were heard every minute. 



This remarkable condensation of the moisture in the air of the 

 mountains of the Mauritius may possibly have been observed by all 

 who have ascended them, as Mr. H. Hayter describes having wit- 



