THE RAINS! 83 



to making a start ; but neither of these last are as 

 diabolical as the tom-tom and the dogs. After the 

 first thunder-shower, when the rains are near, the 

 great yellow bull-frogs come up from the bottom 

 of the mud in the pond, and they sit all round the 

 edge of the water, with their noses just out, and 

 bark like Newfoundland dogs. Once the master 

 and the C. S. were so kept awake by them, that 

 they got up early in the morning and shot all those 

 bull-frogs ; since when there has been peace in that 

 direction. The other annoyances are not so easily 

 disposed of. One can't shoot a policeman or a 

 tom-tom. 



15th. " The Rains ! " Oh ! the blessed rains ! at 

 5 A.M. true to date. I rushed out on the verandah 

 to see them come down like the water at Lodore. 

 The temperature was instantly lowered 30 degrees 

 from that of yesterday, and how delicious was the 

 smell of damp earth and wet leaves ! The red-hot 

 roofs absolutely hissed as the heavy rain-drops 

 struck them. Up now will go all the drooping 

 heads of man, beast, and plant ; long may it last, 

 we pray ; not come and tantalise us with a mere 

 show, but rain for days and days, with just 



