368 
WEATHER. 
Oct. 
and in gardens well stocked with fruit-trees. These they would be 
unwilling to desert, on account of the labor and time that would be 
required to procure the same advantages on another spot. To per- 
suade them to erect such buildings, had been, as Mr. Anderson 
informed me, his constant endeavour ; and it was not without reason 
that he complained of the laziness of the people, and of their unwil- 
lingness to regulate their conduct by his instructions and advice. 
It is certainly not an easy task to change the customs and prejudices 
of any people ; but still, however, it may in many cases be done ; 
and, whenever improvements more conducive to their happiness can 
be substituted in the place of their own rude notions, the attempt 
may conscientiously be made, and, to a certain extent, persevered in. 
The weather of this part of the continent, is characterized by an 
extraordinary clearness in the atmosphere, an extreme dryness of the 
air (not greater, however, than was afterwards observed further in 
the interior), a want of rain for the greatest part of the year, and, 
during the remainder, heavy showers, attended with much lightning 
and thunder. In January, the hottest month, the average mid-day 
heat was observed to be 89° (31°*6 C), and in May, 60° (15°'5 C). 
In July, the coldest month, it would probably be about 56° (13°*3 C); 
but this I had no direct opportunity of ascertaining. * In October, 
* The following compendious Table, showing the range and variations of atmosphe- 
rical heat at Klaarwater, may be interesting, as affording some idea of the state of the 
thermometer in a remote part of the interior of Africa, where observations to this extent 
have never been before made. 
At Klaarwater, thermometer in the shade. 
1811. 
Oct. 
1811. 
Dec. 
1812. 
Jan. 
1812. 
Feb. 
1812. 
Mar. 
1812.;1812. 
April '[May. 
19 
16 
21 
11 
8 
6 
3 
Average mid-day heat by Fahrenheit's scale 
79 
88 
89 
81i 
73 
70^ 
60 
90 
94 
96 
86 
88 
80 
70 
68 
78 
75 
79 
65 
51 
51 
24 
52 
65 
70 
61 
50 
49 
In part of February, March, April, and May, during my absence from Klaarwater, 
I left my thermometer with one of the missionaries, who obligingly noted down for me 
several observations in each of these months. 
