188 WASTE-LAND WANDERIXGS. 



ows were flooded. The storm now took the form 

 of a general rain, and extended over a considerable 

 area. 



" Such a rain, however, I have never witnessed either 

 before or since. I found by experiment that it was im- 

 possible to breathe while facing it unless by protecting 

 my nose and mouth with my hand. At a distance of 

 one hundred feet objects were wholly obscured from 

 view. This fearful rainfall continued for about forty 

 minutes and then began to abate, but it was not until 

 5 P.M. that the rain ceased and the sky became compara- 

 tively clear. This storm was remarkable for one feat- 

 ure other than that of the quantity of water that fell ; 

 this was the absence of lightning. 



" No ordinary means w^ould have proved available for 

 measurino^ the rainfall in this case. I have no doubt 

 that it was considerably in excess of what I ascertained 

 at the time to be, we will say, the minimum ; and here, 

 certainly, in the immediate vicinity of the water-spout, 

 was a rainfall of nine inches in the three hours of tliat 

 day, from 2 until 5 p.m. 



" Perhaps it may not be without interest to add that 

 the storm caused a considerable destruction of life. 

 Calves and sheep were drowned, and many birds and small 

 mammals were destroyed. I found numbers of drowned 

 crows and some smaller birds immediately afterwards, 

 and several mice and squirrels. Insect life, also, was 

 greatly affected by the storm, their ordinary means of 

 shelter during showers proving quite inadequate to pro- 

 tect them against the violence of this remarkable rain- 

 fall." 



