CHAPTER XX 



CLIMATE AND RAINFALL 



THE climate of Liberia is essentially equatorial ; yet small 

 though this country is in geographical extent, it has by 

 no means a uniform climate over its surface of 43,000 

 square miles. Beyond the forest region, on the Mandingo 

 Plateau, the annual rainfall does not exceed 60 or 70 inches ; 

 there is a perceptible dry season between November and May 

 during which vegetation becomes very parched, and at this time 

 of the year the nights are cool — cold indeed where the ground 

 rises above 3,000 feet in altitude. In this northern part of 

 Liberia, judging from the experiences of Benjamin Anderson 

 and of various French explorers, the summer time, or at any 

 rate the beginning and end of the rainy season, would seem 

 to be the hottest period of the year, with a temperature 

 rising well above 100° P'ahr. in the middle of the day. On 

 the other hand, the winter or dry season is not only cool at 

 night, but the mid-day temperature is not fierce at that season 

 of the year. In fact, though no part of Liberia reaches much 

 farther north than the 9th degree of latitude, the interior regions 

 beyond the forest can show something like a winter. 



In the forest region, however, and along the coast the dry 

 season is very attenuated, and, except no doubt on such high 

 mountains as have not yet been explored, the thermometer 

 probably never descends much below 55°. Throughout this 

 forest and coast belt of Liberia the few dry months are 

 VOL. I 497 32 



