1830.] 
Vwt to the Siccim Mountains . 
135 
rather sombre features in this landscape, especially in cloudy weather. Darjil- 
ing is, as before mentioned, situated on the shoulder of this great mountain. 
The extent of the cleared part of the ridge, the site originally of a Lepcha town, 
and afterwards of a Gurkha cantonment, is in a northerly direction about 400 
yards. The southern extremity, marked by the small building called Pusputmitb, 
is a narrow neck of land, having on one side a steep declivity, covered with thick 
forest ; on the other a more gradual one, with the forest open. From this point the 
hill rises into a broad and almost flat summit, having on it the remains of a Gurnbu 
or Lama monastery. The northern and eastern sides sink down precipitously, but 
to the west and south the declivity is easier. On the western side, there is, at the 
foot of this summit, a considerable tract of level ground, which passes round from 
south to north, and at the latter corner throws otF a broad and tolerably even topped 
ridge as a ramification to the westward. On the highest summit, round its west- 
ern base, and along this ramification, will'be found ample room, even for a small 
town. Water is plentiful and not distant, there being two springs close to the place ; 
and should more be required, some of the innumerable rills, which are found in 
the higher but connecting range of Sinchal, could easily be conducted in narrow 
channels along the face of the mountain, as is practised in every part of these bills. 
Of the. climate it is impossible to speak too favorably. During our stay of two 
days, 19th and 20th February, the range of the thermometer was 39 to 49°. Both 
days were cloudy ; and doubtless, had it cleared up, the thermometer would have 
risen higher than 49. But from a single observation ot this kind, nothing can he- 
learned of course as to the temperature of the hot months, which would be the pe- 
riod for invalids visiting Darjiling. We can, however, determine, from knowing the 
elevation of the place, what would be the difference ot temperature between it and 
Calcutta, as it has been found, by a very extensive induction, that an ascent of 
about 300 feet occasions a fall in the temperature of the air, amounting to 1 of 
Fahrenheit’s thermometer 2 . 
The elevation of Darjiling appears, by a mean of two cotemporaneous observa- 
tions, to be 7219 feet. Divided by 300, this gives 24° as the difference of tempera- 
ture between Calcutta and Darjiling. When the thermometer is at 80 ,J at the 
former place, it would he 56° at the latter ; when 90°, 66°; and in the very rare cases 
in which it reaches 100° in Calcutta, it would be hut 76° at Darjiling. Ihe latter 
would then be the highest temperature out of doors : but in a house it could never 
rise even to 70° in the hottest weather ; while during greater part of the hot wea- 
ther and rains it would not much exceed G0°. Let any dweller in our city ot palaces 
picture to himself the establishment of a cold weather suddenly in the middle ot the 
rains, and he will have some idea of the change in his feelings and health, which a 
visit to D&rjfling would produce. The lowest temperature ever felt in the house in 
Calcutta is 62°, and this at Darjiling would be about the temperature of the hottest 
season of the year. The following table will put the difference of climate in a 
clearer point of view. 
Comparative Temperatures. 
Calcutta. 
D&rjiling. 
WITHIN BOORS. 
Mean temperature of the year. 
78° 
51° 
Mean temperature of hottest month. 
87 
63 
Mean temperature of coldest month, 
65 
41 
Mean maximum temperature of hottest month, 
93 
69 
Mean minimum temperature of ditto, 
81 
54 
Mean temperature of rainy season, (July, Au- | 
83 
59 
gust and September,) / 
71 
Maximum temperature, (June,) 
95 
Minimum temperature, (January,) 
62 
38 
OUT OF DOORS. 
77 
Maximum temperature, 
101 
Minimum, 
48 
24 
2 Mr. H. Atkinson, the author of a very elaborate paper on the theory of Astronomi- 
cal Refractions, gives as the result of his very extensive induction, T J = 11 ~r- n , in 
which T is the difference of temperature due to any difference of elevation H, and 
n a variable divisor, the value of which may always he found, by adding 5 g 5 part of the 
difference of elevation to the constant 231 . This would give as the rise due to 1“ in the 
preseut case 287 feet, and the difference of temperature 25°. Mem, Astr . Soc. vol. ii. 
p. 1. 
