THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 245 



tude 16° west of Washington, in the year 1850, not less than 81.37 

 inches. And this is not the maximum quantity in the southern tier of 

 States. 



Whether the rains in other parts of the State correspond in quantity 

 with those of San Francisco, I am unable to say. I have taken 

 measures to obtain exact information concerning this and other depart- 

 ments of the meteorology of California. But the only data of importance 

 at present in my hand, consist of a journal for 1850 and 1851, kindly 

 furnished me by Dr. R. V. Abbott, of the United States army, kept by 

 him at Camp Far West, in the northern part of the State, latitude 39° 

 20' north, longitude 121° 18' west from Greenwich. From this record 

 is taken the ibllowing account of the rain in each month of those j^ears . 



1850. 



January G.71 inches 



February 60 " 



March 5.56 



April 1.40 



May 0.00 " 



June 0.00 " 



July 0.00 " 



August 0.00 



September 2.00 



October 0.00 " 



November 2.10 " 



December 2.00 " 



Total 20.37 



Thus it appears that the quantity which I'ell in San Francisco, in the 

 year ending April 1, 1852, and which I have assumed as the proba- 

 ble annual mean, viz: 19.34 inches, corresponds very nearly with the 

 annual supply for two years at Camp Far West. 



In the two winters, or rainy seasons, embraced in my table, there 

 were but four days on each of which the quantity reached one inch, 

 viz: November 8, 1851, 1.50 inches; December 22, 1851, 2 inches; 

 March 6, 1852, 1.20 inches; and March 8, 1852, 1.15 inches. These 

 quantities bear no comparison with the rains of the Atlantic States. In 

 almost every month ot the year there are rains in that region from 1 to 

 3 inches in depth. The greatest quantity in a day at San Francisco 

 was 2 inches. The heaviest rains at Wilmington, in each year, from 

 1830 to 1840, were as follows: 1830, 2.70 inches; 1831, 3''.00; 1832 

 2; 1833, 3.35; 1834, 5.10; 1835, 2.70; 1836, 3.80; 1837,2; 1838, 

 3.60; 1839, 3; and in 1840, 6.75 inches. 



The last noted rain, in 1840, was nearly equal to the greatest monthly 

 fall at San Francisco. That of 1834, being upwards of five inches, fell 

 in the space of two hours. Compared with deluges such as these, the 

 rains of Cahfornia are but gentle showers. 



The winter of 1849-50, according to the representations of those 

 who then resided here, was a season of continual ourpourings, not 

 excelled since the forty days and forty nights of primeval times. They 



