Notes on a Journey mm German South-West Africa. 23 
rainfall for one day hitherto measured in Damaraland is recorded to 
be 21 inches, measured at Omaruru. We experienced a fall of half 
an inch in fifteen minutes, and again 1:4 inches in an hour and forty 
minutes, in Windhoek. This shows the heaviness of the downpour, 
the showers from the thunder-clouds being generally of short 
duration, but sharp. 
From Windhoek we visited Otjimbinque, a mission station 87 
miles west of Windhoek, lying about 3,000 feet above sea-level. The 
geological formation at and around Otjimbinque is granitic, the 
mica-schist begins to disappear at Otjiseva, 22 miles west of Wind- 
hoek, giving place to sandstone. Near Otjiseva, in mica-schist, 
there is a considerable deposit of staurolite crystals. Granite begins 
to appear at Barmen, and becomes more noticeable as Otjimbinque 
is approached. A peculiarity of the granitic hills about Otjimbinque 
is that they are capped by a deposit of white crystalline limestone, 
presenting a remarkable appearance, for the line of contact is very 
distinct, and noticeable at a considerable distance. 
At Barmen, 42 miles from Windhoek, there are hot springs 
issuing from quartzite, one having a temperature of 65°C. and one 
a temperature of 48:°5C. At Klein Barmen, 7 miles further on, 
there is a hot spring with a temperature of 61°C. 
The village of Otjimbinque hes on the north of the Tsoachaub 
River, and is divided into two portions by the Omnsema River, which, 
coming from the north, here joins the Tsoachaub River. The place 
has been much neglected as regards cultivation of the soil, the old 
garden of the mission station has been practically given up, and the 
place and surroundings present a very bare appearance, having of 
late years been to a great extent denuded of the natural growth of 
trees and shrubs. 
We found Otjimbinque a very hot place, notwithstanding the fact 
that we had some cooling showers of rain whilst there. It has the 
reputation of being the warmest portion of Damaraland, and we 
experienced a temperature of 38°C. (100° F.) in the shade. I may 
here remark that the humidity of the air in Damaraland in summer 
is very low, a difference between dry and wet bulb of 15°C. 
(27° F.) being nothing unusual; in fact we measured a difference of 
19:9°C. (36° F.) at 3 p.m. one day at Otjimbinque, when the dry 
bulb showed 34:6°C. (94° F.) and the wet bulb 14-7°C. (58° F.). 
Measurements of the temperature of the sand on hot days were 
found very interesting ; the highest temperature of sand measured 
by us was 60°C. (108° F.), the temperature of the air in the shade 
being 30°7°C. (87° F.). 
Between Otjimbinque and Okahaudja the country is very hilly, 
yer nee 
