Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-12-26

terror than on the coast. have no doubt
the rainfall is even greater than this calcu-
lation. The greatest fall Of rain ever
observed in the twenty-four hours was
seven and half inches. Two or three
degrees Of latitude make an enormous
difference in the line of the rainy or dry
season. Longitude also affects the sea
sons, although in less degree. think
these differences of longitude and lati-
tude have been rather overlooked in ac-
counting for the supply OF water to the
Nile. In the interior, rs / said before,
there seemed to be no distinct seasons,
as we had rain all through the dry sea-
son, but it was not very heavy. and
unaccompanied by thunder. The torna'
does generally come from the northeast
or from the east, and are very common
during the months of February, March
and April. The traveller is warned
beforehand Of the approach OF these tor
nadoes. The sky toward the horizon
becomes black, and this blackness sud-
denly increases, the wind, which has
been blowing up to that time, suddenly
ceases and everything is still; the birds
fly about as if they had received sud-
den fright, the beasts of the forest appear
uneasy-of a sudden, under the black
clouds arises small white spot which
seems to chase all the dark clouds before
il. The wind comes with an irresistible
force. This lasts for only few minutes,
and then comes q deluge of rain, ac-
companied by lightning and heavy
thunder, which latter seems TO shake the
very ground under your feet just as
the tornado bursts ons you you can see
the magnetic needle vibrate. In the
dry season the wind blows very hard for
about three or four days at the time of
the new and full moon in each month.
| never saw but twice during my last
journey, which lasted about two years, the
sky entirely clear and free from cloud,
and on these occasions it was not clear
longer than for the space of an hour, and
even then all around the lower parts of
the horizon were hazy. The more went
into the interior the more cloudy became
the day, and often had to pass night
after night without being able to take an
astronomical observation. At that time
of the year, indeed even along the sea-
coast the sky remains cloudy and over
cast, that is, in the months of June, July
and August. Although was now travel
ing under the equator, it did not by any
means follow that the heat of the atmos-
phere was greater than in other coun-
tries more temperately situated. The
cause OF this absence of excessive heat
was owing to the great moisture of the
country arising from the excessive rain
fall, and also the large forests which
filled nearly its entire extent. This
highest temperature | have observed in
the interior was during the months of
May and April, when Fahrenheits Their
mometer stood at $50, and this, of course,
was in the coolest place-under ve-
rauda in one of the villages passed
through At that time made simulta-
neous observations of the temperature
in the forest, where, might say. the sun
never penetrated to the ground in conse-
quence OF the dense foliage, although an
occasional ray of light might pierce
through the leaves now and then. From
ninety eight degrees Fahrenheit in the
village the thermometer sank to eighty
seven degrees in the forest, while in the
broad, glaring heat of the sun it marked
1882. Unfortunately, when the tenn
perature of the atmosphere stood at
ninety eight degrees in the shade l had
been robbed Of my sun thermometer, but
| have no doubt that the power Of the
suns heat would have caused it to rise
to 1862 or 1909. The maximum heat of
the sun was at one o clock, the maximum
heat of the temperature of the stmos
phere at three o'clock; the heat of the
sun at ten am. and at five pm,
was nearly the same, and varied
from llS0 to 1859. From one
o'clock to three o'clock the heat
of the atmosphere remained about
the same, and did not vary, under
ordinary circumstances, one degree. The
lowest temperature / have ever noticed
was in the month of July, when the
thermometer marked only sixty-four
degrees. ! also observed when was in
the Ashango Land for few days that it
never rose higher than seventy-two de-
grees. The warmest months of the year
were December, January, February,
March, April, and especially the latter.
In May the weather becomes gradually
cooler, and the coolest months were
July and August.
Besides the study of natural history,
carefully studied the habits of the natives
with whom | came in contact and asso-
citation. What struck me first was the
seantiness OF, the population and the
great num mber of tribes speaking different
dialects aHd tongues. Tribes bearing
different name consider themselves an
altogether separate nation, although
speaking perhaps the same identical
tongue. All the tribes we're divided into
distinct clans, each clan independent of
the other, and often at war with one an
other North of the equator almost all
the tribes are exceedingly warlike, espe-
cially those that are cannibals, who, be-
sides being naturally brave, are the most
beautiful iron workers have ever seen.
South Of the equator the tribes are Of
peaceful character, usually. They have
a sort of rude loom, with which they
weave an elegant species of cloth out Of
the fibers ofthe palm tree. The villages
Of these tribes we're very clean; tobacco
was also very plentiful, as also the can
nibis indicds, or wild hemp. In the
midst of these tribes, south OF the equa-
tor, discovered race of men of small
stature, whose average hight did not
exceed four feet three inches to four
feet six iaohes. The forms of gov
ernment OF all the various tribes
were strikingly similar, whether they
were man-eaters or not i was particu-
larly struck BY the mild demeanor gen
orally Of the chiefs, who seemed more
like fathers Of the various tribes than
their rulers No king or subject has a
right TO kill another Killing BY acci.
dent is Hot understood, but the strict |