AT FOOCHOW-FOO. 
117 
appearance : it is new to me. The Meld spider 
(Tagenaira) spreads its net, an inverted cone, 
among the long grass everywhere. 
Events and General Remarks. — 1st. 
Arrive at Foo-chow. Take up our quarters at 
the office of a salt monopolist on left bank f 
river. 3d. Meet the Superintendent of Trade. 
8th. Remove to snlt monopolist's residence on 
left bank above the bridge. 13th. Met the 
Governor-General. Saw fishing cormorants 
on rafts for first time. 
• AUGUST. 
Thermometer. — 1st, max. 91 deg. 2d, 
91; 3d, 93; 4th, 93; 5th, 93; 6th, 85; 7th, 
92 ; 8th, 92 ; 9th, 92 ; 10th, 89. Min. ob- 
served this night, 83 deg. 11th, 6 a.m. 
82 ; 10th, A. M. 82 ; 2\ p. M. 80 ; 4 p. m. 80 ; 
12th, 7 A. M. 80 ; 31 p". M. 89 ; 13th, sunrise, 
82; p.m. 90; 14th, "sunrise, 82 | ; 16th, morn. 
94 ; 17th, 94 ; 18th, 92 ; 19th, 92 ; 20th, 94; 
21st, A. m. 89 ; 3 p. M. 85 ; 22d, a. m. 89 ; 
23d, a.m. 82, stationary; 24th, a.m. 81 ; 
25th, sunrise, 82; p.m. 88; 26th, sunrise, 82; 
27th, noon, 90 ; noon, 87 ; 28th, p. m. 89 ; 
30th, P. M. 90 ; 31st, p. m. 90. 
Barometer.— 1st, 29.49 ; 2d, 29.43 ; 3d, 
29.43 ; 4th, 29.56 ; 5th, 29.66 ; 6th, 29.60 ; 
7th, 29.60 ; 8th, 29.60 ; 9th, 29.68 ; 10th, 
29.56; 11th, 6 a.m. 29.36; 10 a.m. 29.38; 
2 A p.m. 29.38 ; 4 p.m. 29.43. Fall in Barom. 
followed a gale. 12th, 7 a.m. 29. 61 ; 3| 
p.m. 29.67; 13th, at sunrise, 29.67; 14th, 
sunrise, 29.74; 16th, morn. 29.69; 17th, ditto, 
29.73 ; 18th, 29.69 ; 19th, ditto, 29.66 ; 20th, 
ditto, 29.62 ; 21st, A.M. 29.56 ; 3 p.m. 29.51 ; 
22d, a.m. 29.45 ; 23d, a.m. 29.4.1 ; fell 3-100; 
24th, a.m. 29.65 ; 25th, sunr. 29.72 ; 26th, 
29.72 ; 27th, stationary to sunr. end of month. 
Hygrometric State. — 1st. very dry; 5th, 
less dry ; 7th, very dry; 11th, no apparent 
change in dryness ; 16th, very dry ; draught 
of the air scalds the face. 
"Wind. — 1st. S. Fast ; 10th, morning, S. 
East ; evening, N. Fast ; 11th, North ; 22d, 
N. East ; 23d, S., gusty ; 24th, calm. At sun- 
set N. East ; 25th, S. Fast ; S. East ; S.East. 
Sky, Clouds, Mists, Rain and Electric 
Phenomena. — 1st, Cumuli or fleecy clouds, 
with mists, which are clouds couching over 
the city. 4th, Rain fell in the night ; 5th, 
Nimbose clouds ; 6th, Showery in the after- 
noon ; 7th, Cloudy ; 8th, Morning bright ; 9th, 
In the morning, rainbow over the city; day 
showery. 10th, Morning bright ; afternoon 
cloudy. In an evening walk noticed huge 
massive clouds, brooding over the valley, on 
this side the southern range, of hills. On a 
sudden the wind, then southerly, veered to the 
north, and huge volumes of sable coloured 
vapour made their appearance over the city. 
A stagnation ensued, which lasted a few 
minutes, as if the atmospheric columns were 
vibrating between a double and opposite 
course ; a shower followed, but did not last 
long. In the night the rain fell in torrents 
and the wind blew tempestuously. The air 
was chill, but had not a portable thermometer 
to ascertain the temperature, which I regret. 
11th, Sky, at sunrise, hazy and nimbose ; 
black clouds skirting the hills behind the city. 
Wind strong and gusty. At 8 o'clock, a.m., 
rain had ceased. 10, A. m., rain, with a mist 
over the city. P. M., rain, with .blinks and 
gleams of sunshine. Air cold to sense ; wind 
hushed. Thunder and lightning in the night ; 
chilly. 12th, Haze ; detached fragments and 
sheets of cloud invest the sky. The largest 
and most sombre masses overhang the city, 
the focus and centre, around which atmo- 
spheric charges seem to play. 13th, Morning, 
grey dew on the grass. Calm and massy 
clouds in the evening. Much foam floating 
down the river. 16th, Clouds threaten rain, 
being of a nimbose character. 17th, Sultry in 
the morning, succeeded by a haze ; clear at 
noon. 19th, Day fine and sultry. 20th, p. m., 
a shower. Clouds red at sunset ; evening fine. 
21st, Morning grey and sultry. At noon a 
shower, during which the barometer and ther- 
mometer both fell, which is unusual, as show- 
ers are so local, that they effect not these 
columns, in general, at this place. Evening 
showery. 22d, Day ushered in by a drizzling 
shower ; afterwards intermitting between sun- 
shine and a nimbose haze. Evening showery. 
23d, Much rain had fallen in the night. Day 
throughout rainy. 24th, Had rained steadily 
in a calm night. The nimbose sheet parting a 
little in the south, sun broke through between 
seven and eight. Afternoon fine ; heavy 
shower at sunset, and shift of wind. 25th, 
Fine ; breeze refreshing. 26th, Morning fine ; 
breeze fresh ; shower in the evening. 27th, 
Morning shower)'. Rainbows, primary and 
secoudarj', bestriding the city. A supernume- 
rary arch of green. 28th, Morning hazy ; 
day hot and clear. 
Observations of Husbandry and Gar- 
dening. — Peasants employed about the rice 
crop ; the women on hoeing, the men in re- 
planting where it has failed, thinning where 
the tufts are too dense, in stirring the soil 
around the root, and wrapping it up in de- 
cayed straw : the last is very laborious, as the 
workman kneels the while in the mud and 
water. The water-wheel, for irrigation, com- 
plains of an ungreased axle, in sounds that 
fill every corner of the valley, towards the 
middle of the month. Tobacco cut, and dried 
by interlacing the leaves in hurdles to keep 
them flat. The stump of the plant is left to 
throw out a few shoots. The oily grain in 
flower. It needs the hoe but little, as few 
weeds venture to spring up near it. The 
