164 



RAINFALL. 



exceedingly uncertain. Some years number 85 

 inches, others 108. During the first eight months 

 of 1857 and the last four months of 1858, we find 

 a total of 120-21 inches. In 1859 it reached 167, 

 doubling the average of Bombay (76*55), and 

 nearly trebling that of Calcutta (56*83). We 

 may compare these figures with those of Europe 

 and the United States. England has 31*97 

 inches ; Erance, 25*00 ; Central Germany, 20*00 ; 

 Hungary, 16*93; Boston, 38*19 (about the 

 same at Beyrut in Syria) ; Philadelphia, 45*00 ; 

 and St Louis, Mo., 31*97. Of these 167 inches 

 (1859), 104*25 fell during the Msika Mku. The 

 number of wet days ranges from 100 to 130 per 

 annum. According to the people, rain has 

 diminished of late years ; perhaps it is the result 

 of felling cocoas, and of disforesting the land for 

 cloves. In 1857, the Great Msika was preceded 

 by a few days of oppressive heat, which ended 

 (March 24) in a highly electrical storm, like 

 those which usher in the rains of western India, 

 and suddenly the cool S.W. began to blow. Eor 

 some time we had daily showers, now from the 

 N.E., then from the S.W., with high winds and 

 loud thunderings ; the rains, however, did not 

 show in earnest before April 10. 



The islanders like the Msika to open with 



