(c) A barograph, which was, however, of little use owing to the bad weather that we experienced and the continual rolling and pitching of the ship.
(d) Several sea thermometers and hydrometers for surface work.
(e) Various equipment, such as kites, balloons and meteorographs, which were taken for experimental purposes.
Complete observations were taken every four hours of air and sea temperatures, humidity, pressure, wind, direction and form of clouds, etc., in the usual ship’s meteorological log.
Except when the ship was in port, where permanent stations existed, these observations were carried out continuously during the whole of the voyage, making roughly about two thousand odd sets of observations in all.
Although no general conclusion can yet be drawn from these observations, a general summary of the weather conditions experienced by the Quest may be of interest.
As far as actual wind force is concerned, the first part of the journey, to Lisbon, was uneventful, except for a short but heavy gale when off the Bay of Biscay. This gale lasted at its height for about eight hours, after which it gradually eased off. It was accompanied by a sudden very marked fall in the barometer, but no corresponding change in the wind, which was blowing from the south all the time.
The day after leaving Lisbon, when well out to sea, a large waterspout was observed only about a mile away westward.
From now onwards, until after leaving St. Vincent, the wind was steady but weak, never once approaching gale force. The north-east Trades, even, almost failed us, and were of very little assistance indeed.
This state of affairs continued till we reached Rio de Janeiro, and it was after leaving this port on December 18th, 1921, that our troubles from the weather commenced.