Volume 3 / Book 6 — STATE OF THE QUANTITY OF RAIN-WATER, WHICH FELL IN ABYSSINIA AT KOSCAM, THE QUEEN’S PALACE, IN 1771, DURING THE RAINY MONTHS, THROUGH A FUNNEL OF ONE FOOT ENGLISH IN DIAMETER, AS IN THE PRECEDING YEAR 1770.
Reading edition
FEBRUARY.
INCHES.
23. This day it rained, for the first time, from a quarter before four o’clock afternoon to half past four ditto, .003
28. It rained in the night one hour and a quarter, .001
MARCH.
4. It rained in the night near two hours small rain, .042
7. It rained a small shower in the evening, .014
12. It rained three quarters of an hour this afternoon, .017
24. It rained and hailed violently for 18 minutes in the night, .017
29. It rained an hour and a half in the afternoon, .066
30. It rained hard in the night, .504
Total rain in February and March, .664
APRIL.
3. It rained, or rather hailed, nine minutes, ——
5. It rained an hour in the afternoon, .067
8. Small rain at intervals throughout the afternoon, .002
10. It rained an hour in the night, .003
30. It rained one hour and a quarter in the night, .013
Total rain in April, .085
MAY.
1. From the 31st ult. to this day, at different times, .330
3. It rained hard in the night, .355
6. It has rained violently since three in the afternoon, wind S. E. variable, .095
7. It has rained heavily in the night, wind varying from N. to S. and S. W. .368
8. It rained small rain in the afternoon, .042
11. It has rained small rain this afternoon, wind N. W. .002
14. It has rained since yesterday at three all night, and till noon to-day, .675
27. From yesterday at two P. M. it rained to half past six, and heavily most part of the night, wind varying from N. to S. .634
Total rain in May, 2.501
JUNE.
1. From yesterday at noon, in the night, and this day, wind W. S. W. .212
3. At night, south, .002
5. It rained in the night, S. W. .223
6. Ditto, .006
9. It rained in the night and afternoon, wind W. by S. .725
10. Ditto, .463
11. It rained in the night, .343
13. It rained from the 12th, at noon, to the 13th at ten, S. S. W. 1.265
14. It rained from three till seven, .120
15. It rained last night from sun-set till midnight, S. .160
N. B. The 16th at night, is the day the Egyptians say the Nile ferments, and is troubled, by falling of the nucta.
18. After three days fair, wind fresh, N. it began to rain yesterday, and rained three quarters of an hour, wind varying from north to west, .490
19. It rained with intervals from four to ten last night, wind north, varying by east to south, and south-west, where it fell calm, and rained violently, .530
20. It rained from a quarter before six, till ten at night, wind at north, fresh; changed to east, then to south, and there fell calm; violent thunder and lightning, .635
21. It began to rain yesterday at three, and rained till near five; wind changed from north to south, and fell calm; cleared with wind at north, .550
22. It began to rain at three, and rained till five; wind changed from north to east, then to south, and fell calm; cleared with wind at north; fair all night, .149
25. It has been fair till yesterday evening: at three it began raining, and rained till five this morning, a few drops; wind north, .067
26. It rained small rain at several times yesterday afternoon, and a few drops this morning, wind N. calm; at ten it came to south and then to west, .120
27. It rained yesterday afternoon from four to five; wind changed from north to west, but speedily returned to north, fresh, .054
28. & 29. It rained the 27th in the afternoon and in the night, wind at north. Yesterday it rained small rain all day till five, and cleared in the night, with wind at north, .268
Total rain in June, 6.388
JULY.
1. There fell small showers the night of the 29th and of the 30th, .093
3. There fell a small shower the second in the afternoon, and last night hard, .267
4. It rained small rain at noon. From two, and all night, heavy and constant rain. It thundered from noon till three, .373
5. It rained all yesterday afternoon, and by intervals, till nine at night. Small rain this morning; calm; W. S. W. and S. W. .423
6. It rained yesterday afternoon and in the night; S. W. .489
N. B. The 6th of July is the first of the month Hamlie, and of the Egyptian month Abib. It is this day they first begin to cry the Nile’s increase in the streets of Cairo. The night before, or 30th of Senne, is called at Cairo the Eide el Bishaara, or the eve of good news, because, after having measured at the Mikeas, they come and tell at Cairo that to-morrow they begin to count the Nile’s rising.
7. It rained from two in the afternoon till four, and from ten till midnight, .318
10. It rained yesternight, and in the afternoon and night the day before, .289
11. It rained till yesterday afternoon: in the night a violent shower that lasted 39 minutes; wind south by west, 1.162
12. It rained a little from two to three in the afternoon, but in the night violently for a short time, .319
13. It rained yesterday from three quarters past twelve till midnight; W. S. W. calm, .912
14. It rained all yesterday afternoon till midnight, .739
15. It rained the 14th in the afternoon, and the 15th a few showers through the day, .816
16. It rained in the night, and small rain in the afternoon, .290
17. It rained in the afternoon two showers, and in the night a little; S. W. .212
19. It rained in the afternoon the 17th and 18th, and the 18th only in the night, .912
20. It rained yesterday from two till half past ten constant rain, and the hail lay all the afternoon on the hills S. E. of the town; very cold wind; S. by W. 1.371
21. & 22. It rained but one small shower the 20th, the 21st it rained little in the afternoon, but hard in the night, 1.185
24. It rained in the morning of yesterday only, fair in the afternoon; to-day, in the morning, fair in the night, .766
25. It rained all yesterday afternoon, and all this morning small rain, but none in the night, .452
28. From the 25th in the afternoon to this day at noon, 2.137
29. From the 28th at noon to the 29th it rained in the first part of the night, but was fair all afternoon and this morning, .267
From the 29th at noon, to the 31st at ditto, .568
Total rain in July, 14.360
AUGUST.
1. It rained yesterday afternoon, but in the night little. To day fair, .544
4. It rained only the third in the evening, and night and this morning, 1.188
5. It rained yesterday evening and in the night, till noon little, .544
6. It rained yesterday afternoon, and all night, and a little this morning, .250
8. It was fair these two days, and only rained one hard shower last night, .178
9. It rained last night only, was fair all day, and in this morning, .214
10. It rained yesterday all the afternoon, and the first of the night. To-day fair, .869
11. It rained in the night yesterday; all day and this morning fair, .188
12. It rained a small shower yesterday afternoon, and in the night a little, .268
13. It rained yesterday at three a hard shower, and a little in the night, .308
14. It rained a few drops in the day, and a hard shower at night, .360
15. It rained a hard shower near three, and at ten at night, .386
16. In the night, .027
17. It rained hard several times in the evening and night, .831
18. It rained hard yesterday afternoon, and in the night, .329
19. It rained all day, but not hard, .491
20. It rained in the afternoon only, .010
21. Ditto, .097
22. It was fair all yesterday, and rained only a hard shower at 9, .424
23. It rained hard at noon, and the evening, with little intervals, till 9 at night, and again this morning at sun-rise till 7, 1.148
24. It did not rain yesterday, ——
25. It rained an hour between two and three, .332
26. It rained a small shower yesterday, and none in the night, .005
27. It rained a hard shower at four, and this day at 12 morning, the night clear, .268
28. It rained hard yesterday at 2 for a few minutes, .201
29. It rained a hard shower for near an hour, after two, but clear all night and this morning, .450
30. & 31. It rained a small shower the 30th, and heavily for a quarter of an hour the 31st, at night, at ten, .109
Total rain in August, 10.019
SEPTEMBER.
2. It rained yesterday a hard shower in the evening, and at ten at night, .664
3. It rained only a few drops, which did not appear in the funnel, ——
4. It rained from noon till sun-set yesterday, with hard and violent thunder: night fair, 1.739
N. B. It is observed at Gondar, the Pagomen is always rainy. It begins this year the 4th, and consists of six days, being Leap Year.
5. It rained yesterday all afternoon, small rain, .399
6. It rained yesterday all afternoon, and small rain in the night till ten, .306
7. It rained from before noon till four, small rain; the night fair. Wind high at north, .846
8. It rained from noon for an hour, small rain, .214
9. It rained a small shower at noon; clouds drive from east to west; wind north, .107
10. Saint John’s day, no rain, ——
11. It rained from noon till five o’clock, wind W. cold; clouds drive from east and west, 1.135
12. It rained a smart shower a little before noon. Clouds drive from east and from west, .214
13. It rained a small shower a little after noon. Cold and calm. Clouds drive from east and west, .035
14. It rained small rain from noon to three, and hard from eleven till near midnight, .344
15. It was fair all yesterday, but rained hard for a few minutes at seven, and also a little before midnight, from the east, .186
16. No rain to-day, ——
18. It rained a small shower last night, and to-day at noon, .053
19. It rained and hailed violently in the afternoon, 1.096
Total rain in September, 7.338
The rain totally ceased the 19th, none having fallen from this day to the 25th.
Saint John’s day is the time observed for the rains beginning to abate.
N. B. At the 5th of October the people were all crying for rain; the ground all in cracks, and teff in the blade burnt up.
TOTAL of RAIN that fell in Abyssinia in the Years 1770 and 1771, in the Rainy Months.
GONDAR.
1770.
INCHES.
March & April, .039
May, 2.717
June, 4.307
July, 10.089
August, 15.569
September, 2.834
35.555
KOSCAM.
1771.
INCHES.
February, & March, .664
April, .085
May, 2.501
June, 6.388
July, 14.360
August, 10.019
September, 7.338
41.355
END OF THE THIRD VOLUME.