A Contrihution to the Study of the Rainfall Map of South Africa. 371 
from west to east, and from the coast inland to the outer slopes of the 
Langebergen and Outniquas Mountains. On the other side of the coast 
ranges, whose spurs, jutting south-east, form the heads of Cape St. Francis 
and Cape Eecife, the fall is again less, as Uitenhage (IV B, 80), 17-09 in., 
and Dunhrody (IV B, 73), 15-58 in. 
In the western half of this area there is a long-drawn-out maximum of 
precipitation from February to May, and a shorter one in October. In the 
eastern half there are maxima from March to May and in September- 
October. In both halves the minima are in January and July, 
V. Souther7i Karroo. 
The V^^estern half, called the Little Karroo on some maps, of this area is 
the terrace which lies between the Langebergen and Groote Zwartebergen, 
forming as it were the first step up from the coast plains. The rainfall is 
poor, the rain-bearing clouds having deposited much of their excess of 
moisture on the southern slopes of the first range of mountains inland. 
There are two maxima in the year, roughly in March and October, but 
varying in epoch from one station to another. The summer minimum is 
also of somewhat uncertain epoch, but the winter minimum is fairlv sure in 
July. 
The eastern half stretches across the spurs, which strike seawards to the 
north of Cape St. Francis. If there were any truth in the popular idea of 
"south-east rain-bearing winds" this area would have a copious rainfall 
instead of less than Uitenhage and Dunbrody. There are maxima near the 
times of the equinoxes, minima about the middle and end of the year. 
VI. West Central Karroo. 
The Great Karroo of the maps. It is bounded on the north by the 
Nieuwveld Range, on the south by the Groote Zwartebergen, and on the west 
by the Bontebergen, its eastern boundaries being ill-defined along the 
middle reaches of the Groote Eiver. 
The western half, i. e. VI A, may be regarded as the second step up from the 
coast belt to the table-land, and shows the effect of a still further depletion 
of the clouds in the second range of mountains inland. Only one station in 
this area has a good rainfall, namely Zwartberg Pass (VI A, 101), in the 
mountains, with 27*41 in. There are two annual maxima, about the 
time of the equinoxes, with minima in July and November. 
The eastern half, VI B, stretching from the Nieuwveld Range to the 
Baviaans River, differs from the western half not only in its greater rain- 
fall, but more particularl}^ that it has only one maximum and minimum of 
precipitation in the year, the former being in March and the latter in Jul v. 
On this account Beaufort West would perhaps have been more at home in 
VI B. Nelspoort (VI B, 104) and Lower Nelspoort (VI B, 105) are similarly 
