RAIN-REGISTER KEPT ON BOARD H.M.S. “LARK.”
(I am indebted to Lieutenant Leeper for assistance in keeping this register.)
The rain-gauge was raised about eleven feet above the water-level. I did not commence these observations until towards the close of the first season; and since, during the two following years, we spent about two-thirds of each year in this region, the record is, in consequence, not continuous.
(A) OFF THE NORTH COAST OF ST. CHRISTOVAL AND THE NEIGHBOURING ISLANDS IN 1882.
| 1882. | Total in inches and hundredths. | Number of rainy days. | Greatest daily fall. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. (from the 9th), | 18·40 | 15 | 3·32 |
| October, | 10·84 | 21 | 2·38 |
| Nov. (to the 21st), | 18·31 | 12 | 5·74 |
| Total, | 47·55 | 48 |
Results.—Total Rainfall for this interval of 74 days from Sept. 9th to Nov. 21st, 1882, was 47·55 inches. The greatest daily fall was 5·74 inches. The number of rainy days was 48, or about two-thirds of the whole. On 17 days, more than an inch of rain fell; and on 8 days, more than two inches fell.
(B) OFF THE NORTH COAST OF ST. CHRISTOVAL AND THE NEIGHBOURING ISLANDS IN 1883.
| 1883. | Total in inches and hundredths. | Number of rainy days. | Greatest daily fall. |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 13th-30th, | 10·43 | 15 | 1·62 |
(C) BOUGAINVILLE STRAITS IN 1883.
| 1883. | Total in inches and hundredths. | Number of rainy days. | Greatest daily fall. |
|---|---|---|---|
| June, | 16·32 | 26 | 2·23 |
| July, | 10·25 | 24 | 2·12 |
| August, | 7·78 | 23 | 1·10 |
| September, | 15·07 | 22 | 2·20 |
| October, | 11·01 | 25 | 2·10 |
| Total, | 60·43 | 120 |
Results.—During these 153 days, there fell 60·43 inches of rain. The greatest fall in one day was 2·23 inches. The total number of rainy days was 120, or about four-fifths of the whole. On 14 days, more than an inch of rain fell; and on 7 days, more than two inches fell.
(D) BOUGAINVILLE STRAITS IN 1884.
| 1884. | Total in inches and hundredths. | Number of rainy days. | Greatest daily fall. |
|---|---|---|---|
| April (from the 8th), | 7·82 | 12 | 4·32 |
| May, | 4·02 | 17 | 1·02 |
| June, | 9·22 | 22 | 1·58 |
| July, | 18·16 | 19 | 8·09 |
| August, | 11·87 | 21 | 2·58 |
| September, | 17·46 | 23 | 3·76 |
| October, | 10·95 | 23 | 1·84 |
| Total, | 79·50 | 137 |
Results.—During these 207 days, there fell 79·50 inches of rain. The greatest daily fall was 8·09 inches. The total number of rainy days was 137, or about two-thirds of the whole. On 24 days, more than an inch of rain fell; and on 7 days, more than two inches fell.
OBSERVATIONS[505] OF THE BAROMETER AND THERMOMETER IN THE SOLOMON GROUP, BY LIEUT. LEEPER, R.N.
(Taken on board H.M.S. “Lark.”)
[505] The observations were taken at 4 a.m., 8 a.m., 4 p.m., and 8 p.m.
| THERMOMETER. | BAROMETER. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MONTH. | Highest. | Lowest. | Daily Mean. | Highest. | Lowest. | Daily Mean. |
| 1882 | ° | ° | ° | In. | In. | In. |
| April, | 94 | 74 | 84·4 | 30·09 | 29·88 | 30·041 |
| May, | 94 | 78 | 84·5 | 30·09 | 29·89 | 29·994 |
| June, | 92 | 77 | 83·7 | 30·18 | 29·86 | 30·013 |
| July, | 90 | 75 | 81·8 | 30·14 | 29·92 | 30·05 |
| August, | 94 | 75 | 81·1 | 30·16 | 29·96 | 30·067 |
| September, | 92 | 76 | 80·9 | 30·14 | 29·93 | 30·041 |
| October, | 89 | 77 | 81·4 | 30·18 | 29·88 | 30·021 |
| Nov. 1st to 22d,. | 88 | 78 | 81·5 | 30·13 | 29·84 | 29·981 |
| 1883 | ||||||
| April 14th to 30th, | 92 | 75 | 82·1 | 30·08 | 29·86 | 29·974 |
| May, | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| June, | 93 | 78 | 81·8 | 30·08 | 29·91 | 29·99 |
| July, | 94 | 75 | 82·3 | 30·12 | 29·88 | 29·96 |
| August, | 92 | 78 | 83·5 | 30·08 | 29·92 | 29·992 |
| September, | 95 | 76 | 82·6 | 30·10 | 29·91 | 29·992 |
| October, | 95 | 75 | 83·3 | 30·12 | 29·86 | 29·993 |
| Nov. 1st to 12th, | 90 | 76 | 81·5 | 30·08 | 29·91 | 29·982 |
| 1884 | ||||||
| April 5th to 30th, | 90 | 76 | 82·2 | 30·15 | 29·83 | 29·984 |
| May, | 95 | 78 | 84·5 | 30·13 | 29·86 | 29·992 |
| June, | 94 | 77 | 82·2 | 30·14 | 29·93 | 30·023 |
| July, | 87 | 76 | 81·5 | 30·10 | 29·87 | 29·985 |
| August, | 87 | 76 | 81·0 | 30·15 | 29·85 | 30·009 |
| September, | 90 | 75 | 82·3 | 30·15 | 29·92 | 30·025 |
| October, | 96 | 75 | 81·1 | 30·12 | 29·85 | 30·007 |
Results calculated from observations of the temperature in the shade, and of the wet and dry bulb thermometers taken at Ugi at 9 a.m., by Mr. F. Howard.[506]
[506] The instruments were supplied by me. The Thermometer was by Negretti and Zambra: and the wet and dry bulbs were good reliable instruments. They were all first compared with the ship’s instruments, which were supplied by the Meteorological Office after being verified at Kew.
| THERMOMETER IN SHADE. | HYGROMETER.[507] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MONTH. | Highest. | Lowest. | Mean. | Mean Dry Bulb. | Mean Wet Bulb. | Mean Dew Point. | Mean Elastic Force of Aqueous Vapour. | Mean Relative Humidity, Saturation 100. |
| 1882. | ||||||||
| October | 87 | 76 | 81·7 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| November | 84 | 78 | 80·5 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| December | 84 | 80 | 81·4 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 1883. | ||||||||
| January | 86 | 79 | 82·0 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| February | 85 | 79 | 81·5 | 81·6 | 78·0 | 75·6 | ·885 | 82 |
| March | 86 | 78 | 81·8 | 81·7 | 78·3 | 76·0 | ·898 | 83 |
| April | 83 | 76 | 80·0 | 80·1 | 77·8 | 76·2 | ·904 | 88 |
| May | 85 | 78 | 81·6 | 81·6 | 78·2 | 75·9 | ·895 | 83 |
| June | 84 | 77 | 80·6 | 80·6 | 77·5 | 75·4 | ·880 | 84 |
| July | 83 | 77 | 80·2 | 80·2 | 78·0 | 76·4 | ·912 | 89 |
| August | 84 | 77 | 80·3 | 80·3 | 76·9 | 74·6 | ·857 | 83 |
| September | 84 | 77 | 80·9 | 80·9 | 76·9 | 74·2 | ·846 | 81 |
| October | 85 | 76 | 82·0 | 82·0 | 77·0 | 73·6 | ·830 | 76 |
| November | 86 | 77 | 82·0 | 82·0 | 77·8 | 74·9 | ·867 | 79 |
| December | 84 | 79 | 81·3 | 81·4 | 78·0 | 75·7 | ·891 | 83 |
| 81·2—Mean for 1883. | ||||||||
[507] Calculated from Glaisher’s Tables.