Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 096.djvu/306

 came from the NW accompanied with heavy rain, thundery and lightning.

In this example, the wind from SW occasioned the mercury to stand lower than that from NW in the same weather; which is contrary to what was observed upon the south and east coasts; particularly on the former, where the south-west wind elevated the mercury up to, and sometimes above, 30,25.

5th. On March 6, 1803, we made sail off from the north coast, towards Timor, the north-west monsoon having ceased to blow at Cape Arnhem, and the eastwardly winds appearing to have set in; but we soon outran them, and had the wind so variable and light afterwards, that it took us twenty-three days to reach Coepang Bay, a distance of no more than 12 of longitude. The only two remarks I made upon the barometer during this passage were, that the common height of the mercury was 29,95 at those times that the wind remained steady for some hours, from whatever quarter it came, and about 29,85 when it was most unsettled; and that it stood higher, upon the average, after we had passed Cape Van Diemen, when the south-west winds, which blew oftenest, came from the sea, than it did before.

The medium height of the mercury, deducting the time between Cape Maria and Groote Eyland in the 2d example, I should take at 29,92, which, when the quantity of rainy squally weather, with thunder and lightning, is considered, is very high: the whole range of the mercury upon the north coast was four-tenths of an inch.

The principal differences in the effect of winds upon this coast, from what they produced upon the south and east coasts, are 3 that a north-east wind raised the mercury as