344 THE MOUNTAINS OF CALIFOKNIA 



out of doors, on that section of the plain lying be 

 tween the Tuohimne and Merced rivers, I find that 

 the first rain of the season fell on December 18th. 

 January had only six rainy days that is, days on 

 which rain fell ; February three, March five, April 

 three, and May three, completing the so-called 

 rainy season, which was about an average one. 

 The ordinary rain-storm of this region is seldom 

 very cold or violent. The winds, which in settled 

 weather come from the northwest, veer round into 

 the opposite direction, the sky fills gradually and 

 evenly with one general cloud, from which the 

 rain falls steadily, often for days in succession, at a 

 temperature of about 45 or 50. 



More than seventy-five per cent, of all the rain 

 of this season came from the northwest, down the 

 coast over southeastern Alaska, British Columbia, 

 Washington, and Oregon, though the local winds 

 of these circular storms blow from the southeast. 

 One magnificent local storm from the northwest 

 fell on March 21. A massive, round-browed cloud 

 came swelling and thundering over the flowery 

 plain in most imposing majesty, its bossy front 

 burning white and purple in the full blaze of the 

 sun, while warm rain poured from its ample foun 

 tains like a cataract, beating down flowers and bees, 

 and flooding the dry watercourses as suddenly as 

 those of Nevada are flooded by the so-called "cloud 

 bursts." But in less than half an hour not a trace 

 of the heavy, mountain-like cloud-structure was left 

 in the sky, and the bees were on the wing, as if 

 nothing more gratefully refreshing could have been 

 sent them. 



