Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 447

428

Notices of Chusan.

AUG.

their existence, excepting that iron might perhaps be met with in the mountains. The gold and silver produced in China, are obtained, ex- clusively it would seem, from the western provinces bordering on Ti- bet; but upon this point no information as to the precise locality of the mines has been obtained. Veins of the metallic ores are however very unlikely to be found among the igneous rocks of the eastern coast, so far at least as they came under my observation.

Climate. During the southerly monsoon, the weather was hot, and sometimes very oppressive; the range of the thermometer, with the maximum and minimum for each month, can be seen by turning to the tables inserted on pages 353-376. During the northerly mon- soon, generally speaking, the weather was very cold, with fine clear days. During the cold season of January and February, there was much ice on all the ponds, though the duration of this low tempera- ture was never long enough to freeze the canals completely over. Little snow fell during the winter 1840-41, and never in sufficient quantity to cover the plain; the hills around the city were once only capped with snow, which lay three or four days. The natives of the island said that the winters were frequently much more severe, that the ice was very thick, and snow lay in the vallies. It was subse- quently ascertained that the winter at Canton and vicinity had also been mild.

Effects of climate on health. It may be asked, seeing the favora- ble position of the island, and the comparative mildness of the cli- inate, what was the apparent cause of the unhealthiness of the troops there? To this it may be answered, that there were several circum- stances which produced disease. The expedition reached Chusan at the hottest season of the year; and after the occupation of Tinghae, the soldiers had unavoidably to submit to severe laborious duty, and that at a time when it was impossible to procure fresh provisions for them. The men were also much exposed to the heat of the sun by day, and to the unusually heavy dews by night; indeed so damp was the air at night, that the clothes of those who were exposed to it were speedily saturated with moisture. The strength of the men was in this way exhausted; and, while thus weakened they were also exposed to the malaria of the district which arose from the extensivé paddy cultivation over the whole valley,a vast sheet of flat muddy ground-opened to the rays of the summer sun; it was then that in- termittent fever seized upon them, followed by severe dysentery, which proved fatal to a most fearful extent. To so great a degree did