1837.] 



The Valley of NepauL 



453 



southern Europe, explains the wonderful fertility of its soil in raising 

 rice crops.* The following abstract of recorded observations, although 

 insufficient for the purpose of settling with precision the mean tem- 

 perature and pressure of the atmosphere of the valley gives an indica- 

 tion of it which may be usefully referred to, in comparing the course 

 of the season, and the round of agricultural employments here, with 

 those of India and Europe. 



The mean height of the mercury in the barometer during the month 

 of January, 1837, calculated from daily observations at 10 a. m. and 

 4 p. m. and reduced to the 32d degree of Fahrenheit's thermometer 

 was 25.448 inches. The mean of similarly made odservations for the 

 month of June, 1836, was 25.154. Taking these months respectively as 

 those during which the mercury stands higher and lower than any 

 others of the year, we have as the mean altitude of the mercurial co- 

 lumn for the year, 25 inches, 301 thousandths or 3-10ths. 



It is remarkable, that the months which shew the greatest elevation 

 and depression of the barometer, should also exhibit inversely the 

 highest and lowest degree of temperature throughout the year. The 

 mean temperature of the air during the day outside and in the shade, 

 for the month of June, 1836, calculated from observations taken at 

 10 a. m. and 4 p. m. was 78° of Fahrenheit's scale. 



The mean of observations similarly made in January, 1S37, was 47° 

 of Fahrenheit's scale. The temperature of these two months, which 

 exhibits the extreme of heat and cold during the year, gives as the 

 mean annual temperature of the day at Cathmandu 62° of Fahren- 

 heit's, t It is unnecessary to keep in mind here, that as no night obser* 

 vations have been quoted, the mean temperature of the 24 hours of 

 these two months cannot be correctly stated, and further, that as the 

 temperature of the day is at its maximum here, at 4 p. m. at which 

 hour observations made have been quoted, the mean temperature of 

 the day and night together, must be considerably below 62 degrees. 

 The mean minimum temperature of January, 1837, calculated 

 from observations taken by me from a self-registering thermome- 

 ter, exposed to the air in a western verandah, was 32 degrees of 

 Fahrenheit's scale. The mean maximum of observations taken by 

 Captain Robinson at 4 p. m. for June, 1836, is, I find, 81o. If it is 



* The mean .annual fall of rain north of the Alps is rated by Malte Brun at 25 inches. 

 The fall south of the Alps at 25 inches. In this valley it was 50 inches in A. D. 1835. 



+ The observations for June, 1836, above quoted are by Captain Robinson; those for 

 January, 1837, by myself, but with the same instruments kindly lent by Mr. Hodgson. 



