118 TRINIDAD. 



of the year. The heat of the sun is then scorching. The grass 

 becomes parched, the leaves of plants wither, and the smaller 

 streams are dried up ; but after the first showers at the end of 

 May or the beginning of June, the face of the country is com- 

 pletely altered in an incredibly short time, and the vegetation 

 looks everywhere green and luxuriant. There is seldom a sudden 

 alteration from dry to wet, or from wet to dry. The change 

 from the dry to the rainy season is generally characterised by a 

 calm and close atmosphere, with occasional showers, from the 

 middle of May to the 10th of June, at which time dark clouds 

 begin to stretch along the horizon, accompanied by remote 

 thunder, and soon followed by heavy rains. In July and August 

 the rain falls in torrents ; and the soil being soon saturated to the 

 utmost, the rivers are everywhere overflowed, ravines rush foa: 

 ing down the hills, the roads are in many localities aim 

 impassable, and even plantations are frequently damaged by i 

 violence. The rain often continues to pour for hours, whilst 

 crash of electricity is incessant, and almost deafening. Showi 

 are still frequent in September, but not heavy; and from t' 

 end of that month to the 20th of October, there are genera 

 very tine days — that short period of dry weather being called 

 the fall, or Michaelmas summer. At the end of October showers 

 become more frequent, and, although not of daily occurrence, are 

 very heavy in November. The northerly wind, which com- 

 mences ordinarily in October, becomes steadier in December, 

 veering to the east-north-east, with occasional squalls during the 

 day, and the skies clearing almost immediately after. This 

 change marks the transition from the wet to the dry season. 



The prevailing winds, from January to June, are from east, 

 veering to north-north-east, after sunset ; and to east- south-east 

 quarter south after nine o'clock p.m. From June to October, 

 the winds are variable, blowing, however, from south- south- west 

 and west-north-west. Southerly winds are always accompanied 

 by heavy rain. In October, the wind shows a tendency to 

 change to east and north-east, to settle at the north-north-east 

 in November and December, and then to veer round to east- 

 south-east. 



By climate, I do not mean any astronomically defined zone 

 or region, but the combined action of all the changes which may 

 take place in the atmosphere and at the surface of the soil, and 



