84 
MEMOIR OF 
advantage, will yield a liberal return to the hus- 
bandman. The seasons depend upon the perio- 
dical winds; the westerly, which are always attend- 
ed with rain, are generally felt in October, become 
more steady in November and December, and 
gradually subside till March or April, when they 
are succeeded by the easterly winds and fair weather, 
which continue for the remaining half-year. The 
heaviest rains are in the months of December and 
January^, and the driest w'eather in July and August ; 
at which latter period, also, the nights are coldest 
and the days hottest. Thunder storms are frequent, 
and the lightning extremely vivid. 
Java is distinguished not only for the abundance 
of its vegetation, hut for its extraordinary variety. 
Dr. riorsfield, who directed his sole attention many 
years to the natural history of the island, had col- 
lected in his herharia, in the year 1816, upwards 
of a thousand plants, of which a large proportion 
were new to the science of botany. Between the 
tops of the mountains and the sea-shore, Java may 
be said to possess at least six different climates, 
each furnishing a copious indigenous botany, while 
the productions of every region in the world may 
find a congenial spot somewhere in the island. 
Vegetable productions, w'hich contribute to the food 
and sustenance of man, are found in great variety. 
Of these the most important is rice, which forms 
the staple grain of the country. Maize, or Indian 
corn, ranks next, and is principally cultivated in 
