456 



Nofes 071 the Influence 



[No. 3(i 



Dalton with reference to the effect of monntalns in augment- 

 ing the fall of rain observes, that " the inferior, warm, and vapoury 

 strata of air, striking against the mountains, are made to ascend 

 into the colder regions, by which means the vapour is precipitated ; 

 the situation of places however, may be too high to experience an 

 extreme in this respect, thus the rain in Switzerland and amongst 

 the Alps is not probably greater than tiie north of England." So 

 Ootacamund on the Neilgherries, where the rain is under 50 inches, 

 would seem to be "too high;" it is above the ordinary plane of pre- 

 cipitation, or lower stratum of cloud vapour; besides which, it is 15 

 miles east of the line of ghats, and 770 miles from the sea coast; 

 whereas, Uttree MuUay is only 22 miles from the sea and immedi- 

 ately on the western crest of the ghats. 



The county of Cumberland in England also affords some interesting 

 illustrations of the effect of mountain masses, in arresting and con- 

 densing the vapour : — In a paper by Mr. Miller, of Whitehaven, on 

 the fall of rain in the lake districts of that county, he shows, that the 

 fall in 1844-1845 at Gatesgarth, close into the mountains was 88| 

 inches, and at Seathwaite in Borrowdale, 56 inches in 7 months, 

 (equal to upwards of 100 inches in the whole year) — while in the 

 more open parts of the county at Keswick and Whitehaven, the fall 

 was only 44 and 38 inches respectively. 



23. The second line of rain observations is from between Alleppy 

 and Cochin on the sea coast, nearly east to Thodawully, at the base 

 of, and to the Perreyaar river, &,c. on the central or cardamom table 

 lands of Travancore, with rain guages as follo\vs : 



Distance. 



Altitude. 



Rain. 



Miles. 



Feet. 



Inches. 



Sea Coast 



12 



100 



30 



120 



142 



50 



2500 



84 



60 



3500 



I 38 



Alleppy and Cocliin, (mean) 



Thodawully, 



Perreyaar river, 7 On the Table 



Top of Cummimi Pass, 5 Land, 



From Cochin to Thodawully is in the low country, but on leaving 



Thodawully, which like Pathanapooram is just at the commencement 



of the spurs and ridges running out from the main chain of ghats,-- 



you ascend a very beautiful and extended table land, the first station 



on which is at the Perreyaar river in the very centre of the upper 



country ; the 2d station Cummum is on the eastern crest of the table 



land, overlooking the low country of Dindigul. 



