294 METEOROLOGY IN RUSSIA. 



ers furnish us also means of distinguishing the European climate from 

 that of the Pacific slope. All great rivers of European Russia, as also 

 the Obi and Jenissei, have one principal flood in the year, after the melt- 

 ing of the winter snow. The rise of water is more or less protracted, 

 owing to the climate and extent of the basin, so that the highest stage 

 of water is reached as late as the 15th of June by the Volga at Astra- 

 chan, owing to the late melting of the snow on the western slopes of 

 the tJral and the enormous distance the water has to pass from thence 

 to Astrachan. 



The summer rains are not long enough continued, and too local to 

 have great influence on the rivers. 



The Angara River, tributary of the Jenissei, does not rise generally 

 in spring, the quantity of snow falling there being too small. But 

 sometimes the river and Lake Baikal, which it traverses, rise very high 

 in summer. The Amoor has also no great flood, due to the melting of 

 snow, but rises very high sometimes in summer. The disastrous flood 

 of 1872 will long be remembered by the inhabitants of the country. 

 The rivers of China have also floods, due to the spring and summer 

 rains, and, like all rivers in such condition, their floods are very disas- 

 trous and irregular. 



The Caucasian provinces, though of small extent, show great differen- 

 ces in the quantity and character of their rains. South of the principal 

 chain we must distinguish three principal belts : (1) that of the eastern 

 coast of the Black Sea, a country of very copious precipitation. It in- 

 cludes Mingrelia, Imeretia, Guria, and Abchasia, being bounded on 

 the northeast by the principal chain of the Caucasus, and on the east 

 by the Suram Mountains, separating Imeretia from Grusia. About 60 

 inches fall in the year, which is tolerably well distributed, the maxima 

 being in June and December. A warm climate and copious rains pro- 

 duce a rank, luxurious vegetation, having some features of that of the 

 tropics. Climbing plants are especially favored by the climate, and the 

 trees of Central Europe attain immense dimensions. (2.) Grusia has a 

 less rainy climate, the maximum falling in May. Irrigation is found 

 much necessary in the valleys, while the mountain-sides, from 2,000 to 

 5,000 feet high, are clad with forests. The maximum of rain-fall in May 

 is strongly marked, this month at Tiflis having also the greatest number 

 of rainy days and the greatest amount of cloud. On the higher plateau 

 of Armenia, 4,800 feet. May is also the rainiest mouth, as it is due north 

 of the Caucasian chain at Alagir. (3.) The western shores of the 

 Caspian have sub-tropical rains — that is, the greatest quantity falls in 

 autumn and winter, while the summer is decidedly dry. The distribu- 

 tion is nearly the same along all this shore, while the quantity varies 

 much ; Lenkoran, for exami)le, has more than 50 inches, while Baku has 

 only 10. The vapor coming from the Caspian, places having mountains 

 to the westward receive copious rains. Lenkoran has a similar position, 

 the Talysh Mountains rising from 5,000 to 7,000 feet due west of the 



