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19. Enquiries from officers belonging to the Civil Service, the Army and the Navy as well as from Masters of Merchant Vessels were answered at considerable inconvenience. If the Observatory were connected directly with the Telegraph Offices in Hongkong and a telegraph clerk appointed here, it would be easy to answer any enquiries concerning atmospheric disturbances, made by the public at large, who might be charged a small fee to cover cost of transmission, the same as in England.
20. My thanks are due to Mr. WHIPPLE, Superintendent of the Kew Observatory, for superin- tending the construction and comparison in London of instruments destined for this Observatory, which has thus had the benefit of his great experience. My thanks are also due to Commander RUMSEY R.N., Acting Harbour Master, for his energetic co-operation.
21. The hill on which the magnetic hut is placed was early last year planted with firs that will when they grow up, contribute to the healthiness of the locality. The southern side of this hill was smoothed and the grass stripped in 1883 by order of the Surveyor General, with the view of having it returfed, but so far this has not been effected. The summer rains in 1884 shewed the building to be suffering from leakage. Several attempts to repair this were unsuccessful, but I am informed, that the roof will be thoroughly repaired before the coming wet season. My private quarters are very draughty in the winter during the height of the NE monsoon, which is so trying to the health. cannot of course be helped, as the Observatory should be exposed to the full force of the wind. The growth of rice in the extensive paddy fields north of this was prohibited in 1884, but the ground has not been drained and was during the heavy rains last summer converted into an extensive swamp, to the malaria emanating from which the intermittent and remittent fevers, from which we all suffered, may be ascribed.
This
From the
22. Mr. FIGG, First Assistant, took charge of the apparatus in the time-ball tower. 1st January to the 22nd November, when a new electric lock arrived, the ball had to be dropped by hand, which he effected with no measureable loss of accuracy. Mr. FIGG attended during the year to the self-recording instruments and the tabulations except the thermograms. The latter were tabulated by Mr. MAHOMET ALARAKIA, who has also charge of the galvanic batteries, and during the latter part of the year changed the sheets on the instruments and took charge of the photographic laboratory, Mr. LAU-SHAU, Clerk, has charge of the correspondence, all business transactions and accounts, acts as telegraph clerk, writes out daily weather reports, collects meteorological observations and is respon- sible for the issue of information concerning typhoons and storm-warnings. I make myself all the astronomical observations and take charge of the horological apparatus.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
The Honourable THE ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY.
&C.
&C.,
&e.
W. DOBERCK, Government Astronomer.