SUDDEN. FLOODS. 97 



locality where these rains themselves have fallen, that 

 their most extraordinary effects are to be witnessed. 

 Without a moment's warning sudden floods of the most 

 dangerous and appalling character are created, which, 

 as if by the bursting of the dam of some immense 

 reservoir, carry destruction and death in their course. 

 Disastrous floods, in fact, very constantly follow the 

 breaking up of long droughts. This was so after " the 

 first great Indian famine and drought of which we 

 have any record, which devastated the lower valley 

 of the Ganges in 1769 and '70, when one third of 

 the population are credibly reported to have perished. " * 

 In Australia also, and other places, alternately with 

 droughts there have been disastrous floods. The whole 

 .course of Nature in fact is a system of compensation 

 and adjustments all her operations seem to be carried 

 on with a sort of rhythmical cadence, like the beat 

 of some gigantic pendulum: and if the pendulum 

 at any time is pushed too far in one direction, 

 almost certainly the return swing will go too far in 

 the other. 



We shall now proceed to cite some instances of 

 these sudden floods. Generally they have been preceded 

 by drought; not a drop of rain has fallen, and perhaps 

 not a cloud has been visible in the sky; and yet, 

 without the slightest warning of any kind, floods have 

 suddenly swept down the watercourses, on account of 

 torrential rainfalls further up the country. 



One of the most remarkable instances of the kind 

 is one related by Sir Samuel Baker, of the coming 

 down of the great River Atbara in the Soudan desert. 

 It occurred on the night of June 23rd, 1861. For months 



* Encycl. Brit., 9th edit., Vol, xii, p. 767. 

 VOL. I. 7 



