188 WASTE-LAND WANDERINGS. 



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 othet than that of the quantity of water that fell ; 

 this was the absence of lightning. 



" No ordinary means would have proved available for 

 measuring 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 that 

 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." 



