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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 17TH NOVEMBER, 1883. 877
5. Sir ROBERT HART, Inspector General of the Imperial Maritime Customs of China, took steps over ten years ago to start a meteorological service for China, and it was his intention to co-operate with other governments, and to exchange meteorological information.-He purchased in London meteorological instruments of the construction approved in England, which are sufficient to equip the necessary number of stations, and it is intended that all superfluous meteorological registers should be suppressed.
6. These instruments remain stored in the Custom houses at Shanghai and Amoy. I inspected those in Shanghai, and at the request of the Commissioner of Customs, Amoy, I unpacked, adjusted and verified sixteen complete sets of instruments of good construction and in good preservation, and these instruments are now fit to be distributed among the stations.
7. While staying in Amoy, I had the honour to inform the Commissioner of Customs that thermometer screens and stands for radiation thermometers were required. At his request several such screens and stands were constructed there under my supervision. These are now submitted to Sir ROBERT HART, and, if approved by him, similar ones will no doubt be made and sent to all the future stations.
8. It is the intention of Sir ROBERT HART, that the meteorological registers in China shall be kept according to a uniform system, uniformity being an essential condition for the success of so extensive a meteorological service.
9. I have had the honour, by order of His Excellency the Governor, to draw up "Instructions for making meteorological observations in China," which are now in the press, and have ventured to lay a copy before Sir ROBERT HART, together with two different forms for entering meteorological observations, with the view of inducing him to communicate them officially to the Commissioners of Customs at the various Treaty Ports.
10. The harbour masters and other out-door officials of the Imperial Maritime Customs I have found to be men of considerable intelligence, and I am sure that they will take an interest in keeping meteorological registers, whenever the observations are started by order of the Inspector General.
11. The observations should be made daily at 10 A.M., 4 P.M., and 10 P.M., in the Treaty Ports. One of the forms which I have ventured to submit is for entering such observations.
In the light- houses observations are made either every three, or every four hours, according to the number of the staff stationed in the respective lighthouse. In case the observations are made every three hours it would be an advantage, though by no means necessary, to have them taken at 1 A.M., 4 a.m., 7 a.m., 10 A.M, 1 P.M., 4 P.M., 7 P.M., and 10 P.M. The other form submitted is for entering such observations. -It will be seen that the registers that apply to the lighthouses are of a more simple form than those for the harbours. I intend that at the Hongkong Observatory corresponding observations shall be made at 10 A.M., 4 P.M., and 10 P.M., with instruments of English construction, similar to those belonging to the Imperial Maritime Customs.
12. I have had the honour, with the assistance of the Commissioner of Customs, Amoy, and of the Coast Inspector, Shanghai, to select the following thirty-five stations as most suitable for meteoro- logical observations.. They are herewith submitted:-
Kiungchow,
CH (Hainan).
Ningpo,
CH.
Pakhoi,
CH (Tonquin Gulf).
Canton,
CH.
Shanghai,
CH.
Steep Island,
Lh.
Swatow,
CH.
North Saddle Island,
Lh.
Breaker Point,
Lh.
Gutzlaff Island,
Lh.
Lamock Island,
Lh.
Shaweishan Island,
Lh.
Amoy,
CH.
Chinkiang,
CH.
Chapel Island,
Lh.
Kiukiang,
CH.
Foochow,
CH.
Wuhu,
CH.
Ockseu Island,
Lh.
Hankow,
CH.
Turnabout Island,
Lh.
Ichang,
CH.
Middle Dog Island,
Lh.
Chefoo,
CH.
Fisher Island,
Lh. (Pescadores).
S. E. Shantung Prom
Lh.
S. Cape, Tamsui,
Lh. (Formosa).
Howki,
Lh.
CH.
Tientsin,
CH.
Keelung,
CH.
15
Newchwang,
CH.
Wenchow,
CH.