Rainfall and climate in India / by Sir Joseph Fayrer.

  • Joseph Fayrer
Date:
[1881]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Rainfall and climate in India / by Sir Joseph Fayrer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    7 5 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 ot 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 29,000and 28,000feet 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
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