made in the interior of Brazil. 367 



Although the rain is occasionally very heavy, I have seen 

 none to compare with the results recorded by Prof. Forbes*. 

 The heaviest showers I have seen, were 



January 13, 6 p.m., when 1*12 inch of rain fell in 1 hour. 



17, 2 0-72 20 minutes. 



November 13, 4 1-04 17 ... 



24, 5 1-2 25 ... 



25, 2 ... ... 2-24 l£ hour. 



The heaviest falls of rain during twenty-four hours were, 

 February 22, when 3*92 inches were collected ; November 

 26, when 3*76 inches were collected. 



At the commencement of the wet season, heavy thunder- 

 storms precede the rains for several days; they usually begin 

 early in the afternoon, but generally pass off as evening .ap- 

 proaches. As the season advances, they become daily later ; 

 and towards its conclusion, the time of their appearance is 

 very irregular. 



From April to August there is usually but little rain, and 

 the continued drought enables the farmer to burn the dry 

 stubble of his maize and beans, and to clear his grounds for 

 tillage; for several weeks during August ,and September the 

 atmosphere is filled with the smoke from these burnings ; and 

 at this time violent thunder-storms, with heavy showers, are 

 frequent f. 



For two or three weeks, about the end of January and the 

 beginning of February, there is usually a cessation of rain 

 and a continuance of unclouded sunshine (the veronica)', but 

 no such interval occurred in 1845$. 



I am unprovided with a barometer, hygrometer, and many 

 other instruments necessary for a regular course of meteoro- 

 logical observation, as on leaving England my stay in Brazil 

 was not expected to have exceeded a few months ; and I have 

 not obtained them since, as the requisite attention to them 

 would interfere with the indispensable duties of my office. I 

 have, however, a considerable series of observations on the 



* Reports of the British Association (1832), p. 252, and (1840) p. 113- 

 116. 



f I believe it has been long known that thunder-storms and rains follow 

 the fires on the great prairies of North America, but I am unable to refer 

 to my authority for the remark. 



X A season seldom passes without heavy hail-storms in this province : 

 during the early part of the wet season of 1844, I saw two such here; but 

 during the present year we have had none, although there have been some 

 of great severity in the neighbourhood. 



