CLIMATE. 145 



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 20th 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 foaming down the 

 hills, the roads are in many localities almost impassable, and 

 even plantations are frequently damaged by its violence : the rain 

 often continues to pour for hours, whilst the crash of electricity is 

 incessant, and almost deafening. Showers are still frequent in 

 September, but not heavy ; and from the end of that month to 

 the 20th of October, there are generally very fine 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 commences ordinarily in October, be- 

 comes 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 

 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, arid 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 

 which actually produce, or are capable of producing, in our organs 



j 



