416 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE. Chap. XX. 



this is an exception to the rule. The dry season 

 lasts from June to August. 



As far eastward as Mayolo, or rather, I may say, 

 as far as the mountains inhabited by the Ishogos, the 

 seasons keep themselves pretty distinct ; but as the 

 reader may see on perusing my book, the further I 

 went eastward, the less distinct became the dry season. 



The dry season came from the west and the rain 

 from the east. North of the equator the rain seemed 

 to come from the north-east. South of the equator 

 it seemed to come almost direct from the east. The 

 more I advanced in the Ashango country the higher 

 the land became, and also the more moist ; but there 

 was no thunder or lightning or heavy rain. At that 

 time the state of the Eckmiihl river, of the Ngouyai, 

 arid of its affluents showed, as the reader will see, 

 that they were far below their height of the wet 

 season. It is a remarkable fact that the hio-her I 

 went up these streams, the more they had fallen. 



It is clear that it rains more or less in the moun- 

 tainous regions of the interior throughout the year, 

 and if it rains there when it is the height of what 

 is called by them the dry season, what must it be 

 in their rainy season ? The amount of rain must be 

 far more than in the countries near the sea-shore. I 

 noticed in my former journey, while among the can- 

 nibals (chap, xviii. page 320), the cloudy and rainy 

 state of the atmosphere in August. 



The highest fall of rain I noticed before my rain- 

 gauge disappeared, was 7Hn. in twenty -four hours, 

 and, as far as I can remember, more than 200 inches 

 fell near the sea-shore during the year. 



