818 THE EEPUBLIC OF PANAMA. 



side the temperature may run a degree or two higher than at Colon. 

 For all ordinary purposes it may be stated that there is no sensible 

 difference in temperature on the two sides of the Isthmus, nor in other 

 climatic conditions except the rainfall, which differs sensibl3\ On the 

 high ground at Culebra, Avhere the canal and railroad lines cut the 

 continental divide, and where the elevation is from 200 to 300 feet 

 above sea level, the air is cooler and dryer than at either seacoast. 

 These figures show that the ruling temperatures on the Isthmus are 

 not so high as those shown by the hottest weather of a New York or 

 Washington summer; l)ut the temperatures, such as they are on the 

 Isthmus, continue without material abatement. 



The low latitude of the Isthmus of I^anama, the farthest point north 

 lying in latitude 9'^, brings the sun at the zenith twice during the year, 

 once at noon on April 13 on its journey northw^ard, and the second 

 time at noon on August 29, on its return southward toward the win- 

 ter solstice. At the summer solstice its elevation above the north 

 horizon is 75- 41' and 57^ 24' above the south horizon at the winter 

 solstice. These conditions introduce an approach to uniformity in the 

 temperature of the varying seasons, as they also produce opposite 

 prevailing winds in different portions of the year. As the direct rays 

 of the sun tend to cause the hot air to rise vertically under it during 

 those portions of the year when the sun is north of the zenith, the 

 prevailing winds arc southerly or soiithwT\sterly, but when it is south 

 of the zenith the same causes make the prevailing winds from north 

 or northeasterly. It is in this portion of the j^ear when at rare inter- 

 vals the northers blow into the harlior of Colon with such severity as 

 to require ships found in it to put to sea for their safety. 



The year on the Isthmus is divided into the dry season and the wet 

 season. The dry season covers the four months of January, Febru- 

 arj, March, and April, during which little or no rain falls. The wet 

 season is composed of the remaining eight months of the ^^ear, the 

 wettest portions being usually in May and in Octol)er. The rainfall 

 on the Caril)bean side — i. e., at Colon — is considerably greater than 

 either in the interior or on the Pacific side, its annual amount usually 

 ranging from about Aij to nearly 1.55 inches, with an average of about 

 125 to 13<> inches. In the interior, as at Gamboa or Bas Obispo, the 

 annual precipitation varies ordinarily from about 75 to nearly 140 

 inches, with an average of 90 to 95 inches. The total precipitation at 

 Panama, however, may vary from about 45 to about 85 inches per 

 annum, with an average of al)out QQ to »J7 inches. As the average 

 annual precipitation in New York or Washington may vary approxi- 

 mately from 40 to 50 inches, it is seen that the wet season in the 

 Republic of Panama exhibits relatively high rainfall, although not 

 more than about one-half of that which occui's at Greytown, in 

 Nicaraoua. 



