Page:Results of meteorological observations, 1894.djvu/14

 prevalence of N.-E. winds. It was therefore arranged by the late Mr. Gr. Y. Juggarow, the founder of the observatory, that the flags on the Dolphin's Nose should be hauled down at nine in the morning with great precision, for the information of persons who live too far from the fort to hear the report of the gun, and also to afford the shipping in the roads an opportunity of finding the error of their chronometers. The same procedure is still adopted.

No other astronomical observations have been carried on since Mr. A. Y. Nursingrow's death.

Meteorology.

The meteorology of the year 1894 does not present any special features.

The rains during the year were timely and satisfactory, and there was no necessity to use the water stored in tanks for the crops. At times they were more abundant than needed, but were fortunately not accompanied by any severe cyclonic storm.

The south-west monsoon rainfall amounted to J8'75 inches, i.e., 7*82 inches below the average.

The north-east monsoon of 1894 began on. the 30th OctoUer, and the rainfall of that period amounted to 25 "93 inches, i.e., 7 '25 inches above the average.

The total rainfall of the 25 years under discussion has been distributed in octants according to the direction from which it was received (see Table XXYIII ). The average annual rainfall for the 25 years under each octant is given by the means shown in the table, while the figures opposite each month give the average rainfall for the month under each octant.

The number of rainy days for each octant is shown in Figure 2, Plate YII, and the means of the total rainfall have been plotted in Figure 1.

The vapour pressure gradually increases and reaches its maximum in May, and a second smaller maximum in September, and from that time forward decreases to its minimum at the end of the year.

The vapour pressure was deduced up to 1880 by means of Guyot's Tables and from 1881 to 1894 by means of Glaisher's Tables.