ons on the east and west of Ceylon; and, in many
particulars, they are inapplicable to the northern portions of the
island. At Trincomalie, the climate bears a general resemblance to that
of the Indian peninsula south of Madras: showers are frequent, but
light, and the rain throughout the year does not exceed forty inches.
With moist winds and plentiful dew, this sustains a vigorous vegetation
near the coast; but in the interior it would be insufficient for the
culture of grain, were not the water husbanded in tanks; and, for this
reason, the bulk of the population are settled along the banks of the
great rivers.

The temperature of this part of Ceylon follows the course of the sun,
and ranges from a minimum of 70 deg. in December and January, to a maximum
of 94 deg. in May and June; but the heat is rendered tolerable at all
seasons by the steadiness of the land and sea breezes.[1]

[Footnote 1: The following facts regarding the climate of Trincomalie
have been, arranged from elaborate returns furnished by Mr. Higgs, the
master-attendant of the port, and published under the authority of the
meteorological department of the Board of Trade:--

_Trincomalie_.

|Extreme
|Mean |Mean |Range |Highest |Days
1854 |Maximum |Minimum |for the |Temperature|of
|Temperature |Temperature |Month |Noted |Rain
Jan. | 81.3 deg. | 74.7 deg. | 14 deg. | 83 | 10
Feb. | 83.8 | 75.8 | 14 | 86 | 7
Mar. | 85.9 | 76.1 | 16 | 88 | 3
April| 89.6 | 78.9 | 16 | 92 | 3
May | 89.1 | 79.3 | 19 | 93 | 3
June | 90.0 | 79.5 | 19 | 94 | 3
July | 87.7 | 77.7 | 16 | 90 | 5
Aug. | 87.9 | 77.4 | 16 | 91 | 4
Sept.| 89.3 | 77.8 | 18 | 93 | 2
Oct. | 85.2 | 75.8 | 15 | 89 | 14
Nov. | 81.O | 74.9 | 11 | 83 | 15
Dec. | 80.1 | 74.3 | 11 | 82 | 15
Mean temperature for the year 81.4.]

In the extreme north of the island, the peninsula of Jaffna, and the
vast plains of Neura-kalawa and the Wanny, form a third climatic
division, which, from the geological structure and peculiar
configuration of the district, differs essentially from the rest of
Ceylon. This region, which is destitute