In the
Gaboon heavy showers sometimes fall, July being the least subject
to them, and the fiery sun, when it can disperse the clouds,
turns the soil to dust. At the end of September appear the
"latter rains," which are the more copious, as they seldom last
more than six hours at a time. It is erroneous to assert that
"the tract nearest the equator on both sides has the longest
rainy season;" the measure chiefly depends upon altitude and
other local conditions.
The rainy seasons are healthier for the natives than the cold
seasons; and the explorer is often urged to take advantage of
them. He must, however, consult local experience. Whilst
ascending rivers in November, for instance, he may find the many
feet of flood a boon or a bane, and his marching journeys are
nearly sure to end in ulcerated feet, as was the case with poor
Dr. Livingstone. The rains drench the country till the latter end
of December, when the Nanga or "little dries" set in for two
months. The latter also are not unbroken by storms and showers,
and they end with tornadoes, which this year (1862) have been
unusually frequent and violent.
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