THE VEGETATION OF NATAL. 263 



very great, especially on animal life ; sheep and even cattle 

 being killed if caught in a bad storm. Foliage is battered 

 down by such hailstorms. 



Local thunderstorms are very frequent in mid-summer ; in 

 places they occur almost daily. Occasionally there comes 

 an altogether phenomenal rainstorm. On May Slst, 1905, 

 15"05 in. fell at Umzinto, Natal, and to that may be added 

 2*40 in. which fell on the following day. I reproduce 

 a table (Table V, p. 271) supplied fi'om the Natal Observa- 

 tory, giving cases of a recorded rainfall of over 5 in. on one 

 day. The actual number of occasions Avhere there was a 

 rainfall of 5 in. is probably greater, as there were only four 

 stations in addition to Durban in 1898. Perhaps three such 

 rainstorms every two years would represent an average. 



The effect of from 10-15 in. of rain in one day can be 

 imagined. The rivers very rapidly rise in Hood and much 

 soil is washed down into them. The aquatic vegetation, 

 which has been slowly accumulating in the river beds and 

 along their courses, is swept out to the sea. The great rush 

 of water deepens the river channels and sweeps away the 

 sand bars from the estuaries, and consequently produces 

 effects that may be permanent. 



4. Rainfall Records. — With the exception of Durban 

 and one or two of the other stations, the meteorological 

 records for Natal are irregular and unsatisfactory. To 

 demonstrate clearly and in detail all the above facts by 

 means of figures would be possible only if there were a much 

 greater number of stations than there are. The figures that 

 are given in the tables will serve, however, to illustrate the 

 various points. 



I have arranged the stations according to the terraces to 

 which they belong. Durban, Port Shepstone, Stanger, 

 Verulam and Umzinto represent the first terrace. The annual 

 rainfall for places on the coast is shown to be higher than for 

 those further in on the terrace. On comparing Port Shep- 

 stone and Umzinto it will be seen that the former has a 

 considerably higher rainfall than the latter. Port Shepstone 



