388 
ST. HELENA. 
On these occasions much of the surface soil, which, excepting in the 
hollows and ravines, scarcely extends to ten feet in depth, is also 
washed away ; and trees, pigs, poultry, with other things, are occa- 
sionally carried down by the swollen mountain torrents to the sea. 
Such floods have long been noted, as the following extract from the 
records shows : — 
“5 May, 1719. — On Saturday last there was such vast floods 
of water descended from about the middle of this Island as did 
abundance of damage, and wee think it was a water spout that broke 
about the main ridge because the water did not fall in shores 
after the usuall manner, but descended from the top of that hill 
with mighty floods and torrents. It carryed away the soile in an 
incredible manner with both grass, trees, yams, and stone walls 
before it. It brought down rocks of a mighty bulk, and covered 
abundance of fruitfull land w‘- stones, the fine earth being washt 
away in such great quantity’s that the Sea for a great way round 
about the Island lookt like Black Mudd.” 
Although periodical seasons of great drought visit the Island,* 
sometimes extending over four or five years at a time, the natural 
seasons, with abundance of rain, always return. The amount of 
rain which falls at the present time cannot account for the cutting- 
out of the ravines and valleys which exist, and it must, many thou- 
sand years ago, have been much greater. Most probably at that 
time the mountain tops were covered with snow, and the continual 
run of snow-water down to the lower land may have aided very 
considerably in cutting out those ravines. 
The present amount of rainfall varies very much in different 
localities, and, as might be expected, very much less falls in James- 
town on the low coast than at Diana’s Peak on the high mountain 
ridge. General Lefroy, B.A., recorded the following result of nine 
months’ experiment : — • 
Near Diana’s Peak, 
2644 ft. 
above the 
sea, 22'63 in. 
of rain. 
A spot below ditto 
1991 
do. 
27-11 
do. 
Longwood . . 
1782 
do. 
43-42 
do. 
J amestown . . 
414 
do. 
763 
do. 
Governor Beatson also recorded the average fall during four years, 
) 
* Great droughts occurred in 1713, 1724, 1738-39, 1747-48, 1752, 1759, 1772 1779-80 
and 1792. MSS. Records. ’ ’ 
