Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstrait781881roya).pdf/57

 Observatory during 1841 to 1844—a period of four consecutive years; and the average annual number of wet days was set down at 185 days, or a little over one-half the year, this last conclusion being drawn from the observations of broken periods as below : —

but searching for information on this point, I am enabled to fill up the break, and we have:—

It would appear, that during the early days of the Settlement, which only dates from 1819, from want of a rain guage [sic] (due to the difficulties attendant on first occupation, and of getting things from India), all that was attempted, was, to keep a register of the readings of the thermometer and barometer (which every ship carried), and a note only made of the number of fair days and wet days. The earliest record of a register of rainfall that can be traced is that of 1835.

It is, however, interesting to note that the accepted average annual rainfall of 1841 to 1814, has not been affected notwithstanding the extensive clearing of forest that must have taken place during the past forty years, for the average of Mr. KNIGHT's register (Table III.) keeps a little above it, viz., 93.91 inches, while the