[ 3^ ] 



that falls during that time is nearly one pound troy (or more) 

 on the fpace of one fquare foot ; which (juantity would rife in 

 a hollow cube of that dimenfion to the height of 0.157639. 

 It is by this laft method that the quantity of rain is ufually 

 indicated in metereological tables, without any regard however 

 to its duration. 



If the quantity of rain that falls in feven hours be only 

 about half a pound, it is called only a mizzle. If it coniider- 

 ably exceeds one pound, and lafts eight, nine or ten hours, the 

 day is called exceeding wet ; on iiach days I have known it to 

 rain five or fix pounds. On the contrary, if it rains one potxnd 

 in two hours, particularly in the morning, and all the rfll of 

 the day is fine, we iliall fcarce call it wet, but at moft a 

 variable day. 



Hence the wetnefs or drynefs of any other period is gene- 

 rally in a compound ratio of its quantity and duration. A 

 week is counted wet when it contains four wet days or more, 

 a month when it contains three wet weeks, and a feafon or period 

 of three months when it contains two wet months. With 

 refpcdl to a year, thefe denominations are applied fomewhat 

 differently ; here regard is chiefly had only to the operations of 

 agriculture, which chiefly take place in Spring, Summer and 

 Harveft feafons. If the two \a[\ feafons be f) wet as to impede 

 the hufbandman in any conflderable degree the y ar \ ill uni- 

 verfally be denominated wet, though the quantity of raia be 

 on the whole much fmaller than in otiier years. 



The 



