Volume 3 / Book 6 — REGISTER OF THE QUANTITY OF RAIN-WATER, IN INCHES AND DECIMALS, WHICH FELL AT GONDAR, IN ABYSSINIA, IN THE YEAR 1770, THROUGH A FUNNEL OF ONE FOOT ENGLISH IN DIAMETER.
Reading edition
INCHES.
The rain began this year on the first of March: there fell in showers, that lasted only a Few minutes, between the 1st of March and the last of April, .039
MAY.
1. From the 1st to the 6th, .039
From the 6th to the 8th, .120
From the 10th to the 12th it rained chiefly in the night, .711
From the 12th to the 14th, .123
19. At four in the afternoon a small shower, but heavy rain in the night, .526
21. At 7 o’clock in the evening a small shower, which continued moderately through the night, .171
27. At 6 in the evening heavy rain for an hour, .540
29. At 3 in the afternoon frequent showers of light rain. It continued one hour 30 minutes, .487
Total rain in May, 2.717
JUNE.
1. At 12 noon, light rain for 15 minutes, .028
2. Between 12 o’clock night it has rained 30 minutes, in small showers, which lasted 5 or 6 minutes at a time, .049
4. At 8 in the morning slight showers for 30 minutes, .014
5. Between 6 and 10 in the morning four small showers, that lasted 32 minutes, and at 12 a very gentle rain that lasted 15 minutes, .031
10. It has rained very violently for 6 hours 30 minutes, .342
11. Between 2 and 6 in the afternoon, at three several times, it has rained 20 minutes, .014
12. At noon a violent rain for one hour 30 minutes. At half past 1 in the afternoon light rain for an hour. At 4 afternoon, light rain for 30 minutes. At half past six same afternoon, a very gentle rain for 3 hours, .421
13. Between 4 and 5 afternoon it rained twice for 15 minutes, but not perceptible in the recipient, ——
16. Between 2 and 6 afternoon it has rained three times smart showers, in all about 20 minutes, .033
17. There fell in the night small rain for an hour, .002
18. At 1 afternoon there was a strong shower for 15 minutes. At half past 1 another for 45 minutes. Same day at 6 afternoon, it rained at intervals for 2 hours, .750
19. At half after 2 afternoon it began to rain violently with intervals. At night a slight shower for 20 minutes, .118
20. At twelve noon there was a very slight shower for 6 minutes. At half past 5, same day, a small shower that lasted 30 minutes. At 8 o’clock evening it began to rain smartly at intervals for 4 hours, .171
21. At a quarter past 11 it rained violently with thunder and lightning for about 2 hours. At half past 4 in the evening it rained, with intervals, in all about 45 minutes, .330
22. At half past 12 noon, it rained an hour, .175
23. At one o’clock afternoon slight showers for 2 hours. Heavy rain in the night for 4 hours, .358
25. At a quarter past one afternoon, a small shower, which lasted one hour 35 minutes. At night it rained one hour 30 minutes; heavy rain with thunder and lightning, .552
26. At two in the afternoon, violent rain with intervals for 30 minutes. At half past five it rained for 30 minutes; and the beginning of the night for three hours, .233
27. At a quarter past twelve, a small shower for one hour 45 minutes, and at night a moderate shower, .302
28. At half past twelve, a gentle rain. At 50 minutes after twelve, violent. At two in the afternoon very gentle rain for 15 minutes; and at 7, moderate rain for one hour and 30 minutes, .290
29. At 1 in the afternoon, light rain, but a heavy rain must have fallen somewhere else, as the river Kahha is overflowed, .092
30. At noon a very gentle rain for 15 minutes, .002
Total rain in June, 4.307
JULY.
1. At 20 minutes past eleven, strong rain for 30 minutes, with some showers through the night, .306
2. At half past eleven, a small shower for 30 minutes, and then, at twelve, a violent shower, wind south-west, for 45 minutes, .792
3. It rained at four in the afternoon, and in the night, .311
4. It rained from twelve to two, and in the night likewise, .390
5. It rained at noon, and some in the night, .029
7. It rained and hailed violently. It rained in the night likewise, 1.686
8. Light rain in the night, .038
9. Light rain for a few minutes, and no more all day; but the river Kahha has suddenly overflowed, and there is appearance of rain on the Mountain of the Sun, .017
10. No rain, ——
11. Ditto, ——
12. At half an hour past noon it rained violently, .422
13. Violent rain at mid-day, and also in the night, 1.185
14. A few light showers night and day, .054
15. A small shower in the evening, and another in the night, .251
16. No rain, ——
17. A small shower at one in the afternoon, and flying showers throughout the day. It rained at ten at night violently, .658
18. A gentle shower at noon, but continued raining in the night, .463
19. Light showers all the night, .237
20. It rained all night till eight o’clock next morning, .714
21. Light showers in the afternoon, but violent rain in the night, 1.329
22. Light showers in the evening, .174
23. It rained one shower at half past ten in the morning, .107
24. Light showers night and day, .226
25. Light rains and frequent, .015
26. Light showers throughout the evening, .081
27. Light rains, .148
28. Flying showers, .070
29. Ditto, .081
30. Light showers, .013
31. Flying light showers night and day, .292
Total rain in July, 10.089
AUGUST.
1. Light rain in the afternoon, .056
2. It rained in the night smartly, .329
3. It rained at noon violently, 1.318
4. It rained from mid-day to evening, and some showers in the night, 1.723
5. At 2 in the afternoon it began to rain violently for 2 hours, 1.042
6. Smart showers at different times in the evening and night, .490
7. It rained in the night, .580
8. Light rain in the night, .053
9. Flying showers through the day, but for 6 minutes. Evening very violent, .186
10. Smart showers in the evening and night, .342
11. & 12. Frequent showers, with a high wind, 1.184
13. & 14. Light rain the first day, but violent on the second, 1.423
15. Fair all day, but rained at night, .475
16. Flying showers night and day, .144
17. A very violent shower of short duration, .371
18. & 19. Several small showers, .609
20. & 21. Frequent light showers, .236
22. & 23. Constant rain, 1.502
24. Frequent showers in the evening, .306
25. & 26. Constant rain, 1.763
27. Frequent showers, .289
28. Ditto, .280
29. It rained in the night, .355
30. Ditto, .302
31. Ditto, .211
Total rain in August, 15.569
SEPTEMBER.
1. It rained in the night, .079
2. Ditto, .107
3. & 4. Frequent showers night and day, .358
5. & 6. Ditto, .568
7. It rained in the night only, .213
8. No rain, ——
9. It rained violently for a few minutes at 8 in the Evening, .055
10. No rain, ——
11. It rained in the night only, .227
12. It rained smartly in the night, .566
13. No rain, ——
14. Light showers in the day, .042
15. Frequent showers night and day, .159
16. It rained a little in the night, .132
18. No rain, ——
19. Ditto, ——
20. Flying showers night and day, .263
21. No rain, ——
22. Ditto, ——
23. Some rain in the night, .039
24. Ditto, .026
25. The rain ceased, ——
Total rain in September, 2.834
N. B. This is the festival of the Cross in Egypt, when the inundation begins to abate. It rains no more in Abyssinia till towards the beginning of November, and then only for a few days; but these are the rains Abyssinia cannot want for their latter crops, and it was for these the Agows prayed when we were at the fountains of the Nile the 5th of November 1770.