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This winter or north-east monsoon, which on land has a 
northerly or north-westerly direction, returns again as a 
south-westerly current in the upper regions of the atmosphere, 
having been heated in the south. It is sometimes called the 
anti-monsoon, appears to be felt in the Himalayas, and, 
descending in the North-West Provinces and Punjaub, brings 
their winter rains. 
The rainfall on the southern and western coasts is the 
heaviest ; but there are many variations and peculiarities 
due to local conditions, — elevated regions receiving almost a 
deluge, whilst some lower areas are very dry. All the condi- 
tions favourable to the condensation and fall of rain exist in 
certain localities, whilst the converse obtains in others. 
A few words on the geography and physical characters of 
the vast rainfall area we are about to consider. British 
India, the great central and southern promontory of Asia, 
situated between the eighth and thirty-fourth parallels of 
north latitude, and the sixty-sixth and ninety-fifth meridians 
of east longitude, includes also a portion of Afghanistan in 
the north-west, and part of the country on the eastern side of 
the Bay of Bengal, extending from Chittagong to Tenasserim 
as far south as the tenth parallel of north latitude. It has a 
coast-line extending for more than 4,000 miles. It is about 
1,900 miles in length from Peshawur to Cape Comorin ; and 
about the same distance in breadth from Sudya, — a frontier 
post in Assam, — to Kurrachee at the mouth of the Indus ; it 
is 900 miles from Bombay to Point Palmyra in Orissa. The 
superficial area is above 1,500,000 miles, — equal to the whole 
of Europe, excluding Russia ; three-fifths being under British 
rule, are, therefore, with the exception of certain districts, 
under the observation of the Meteorological Department of 
Government. The geographical boundaries are well defined, 
on the north by the Himalayas, a chain of stupendous moun- 
tains (the highest in the world), 150 miles in average breadth, 
running north-west and south-east in a crescentic manner, in 
a double range, which is traversed by great rivers (Ganges, 
Sampu, Indus) running east and west for 600 miles ; the valleys 
reaching to a depth that places their bases at not more than 
6.000 to 10,000 feet, whilst its mean height is from 16,000 to 
20.000 feet above the sea level. Mount Everest and Kinchin- 
junga, the loftiest peaks, being over 29,000 and 2 8, 000 feet high. 
This barrier, which separates and isolates India from Turkistan 
and Tibet, is crossed by passes 17,000 feet above the sea, 
nearly on a level with the line of eternal snow. On the north- 
west it is bounded by the edge of the plateau of Afghanistan 
and Beloochistan, rising to the Suliman and Hala mountain 
