Sessional_Paper_1892 — Page 321

HONGKONG.

317

No. 24

9.4

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE OBSERVATORY FOR 1891.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, on the 23rd May, 1892.

HONGKONG OBSERVATORY, 15th April, 1892.

SIR, I have the honour to submit my annual report for 1891 to His Excellency the Governor. My seventh volume of observations and researches was published last summer and the eight volume is in the printers' hands. It contains the observations made in 1891.

2. The staff recommended by the Observatory Commission as a minimum, below which this institution could not be expected to do justice to the immense shipping interests in this great port, has now been appointed, but it is to be regretted that in the meantime the staff was so utterly inadequate. The work done during the past two years has unfortunately suffered in consequence, and no amount of expense now could possibly remedy the loss. Once a certain phenomenon has passed unrecorded the opportunity for observing it can never arise again, the same conditions being never repeated in the physical world.—Mr. F. G. FIGG returned to the Observatory at the end of October after two years absence on sick-leave, very much improved both in strength and experience, and lost no time in going over all the adjustments of instruments, revising reports, seeing them through press, &c. He has been overworked during the past six months, but has now succeeded in getting the work fairly up to date with the exception of information relating to typhoons and storm-warnings, which is several years

in arrear.

3. The branch Observatory at the Peak, suggested by General PALMER, in 1881, declared necessary for storm-warnings by the Observatory Commission in 1890, and upon which improvements in local storm-warnings mainly depend, has not yet been constructed..

4. The China Coast Meteorological Register, based on information received from the Eastern Extension and Great Northern Telegraph Companies, was issued as usual and the stations in southern China are at present being visited and inuch needed improvements effected by Mr. F. G. FIGG and myself.

5. Telegraphic connection with Victoria was interrupted on the 11th January, 1891, from 1 r. to 3 P., on the 13th February in the afternoon, on the 21st July from 4 P. to 9 P., on the 27th July from 7 P. to 8 P., and on the 17th September from 3.30 r. to 3.30 P. on the 18th. Interruptions occurred, therefore, on 6 days and, of course, also during thunderstorms.-Telephonic connection between the look-out on the Peak and the Central Police Station in Victoria (for transmitting observations to the Observatory) was interrupted from the 21st till the 26th of May, from the 29th till the 30th June, from the 19th till the 22nd July, from the 3rd till the 4th August, and on the 30th August. Inter- ruptions occurred, therefore, on 15 days.

6. Telegrams giving information about typhoons were issued on 40 days. The Red Drum was hoisted 3 times, Red Ball 2, Red Cone (upwards) 1, Red Cone (downwards) 3, Black Drum 2, Black Ball 2, Black Cone (upwards) 2, Black Cone (downwards) 1, Lanterns (vertically) 3, Lanterns (horizontally) 2, Gun fired one round 2, and Gun fired two rounds 1 times.

7. During 1891, in addition to meteorological registers kept regularly at about 40 stations on shore, 213 ship-logs with entries during typhoons were copied. A number of log-books have of course been looked through without entries bearing on typhoons having been found. 15 were received through the Harbour Master's Office, 34 direct from the Captains or Owners, and 164 were copied on board ship in the harbour. For the latter purpose I am now using a pilot cutter which is fully as suitable and less expensive than a steam-launch. The ship-logs received in 1891 were thus distributed : for 1888, 3 logs; for 1889, 11 logs; for 1890, 31 logs; for 1891, 168 logs. But the information concerning typhoons in 1888, 1889, 1890 and 1891 is not yet complete. The following number is still wanted for 1888, 17 logs; for 1889, 29 logs; for 1890, 28 logs; and for 1891, 71 logs. These figures refer to the 1st January, 1892, since which date a number has been collected, All the observations made at noon each day during the typhoon season are being reduced and tabulated at present, and are to serve in the construction of weather-maps, on the basis of which the typhoons will be investigated and their paths constructed.

8. As stated in the "Instructions for making Meteorological Observations, &c.," meteorological instruments forwarded by observers, who regularly send their registers to the Observatory, are verified here free of cost. During the past year, 22 thermometers and 5 barometers were verified.-Messrs. KELLY & WALSH have published a third edition of the "Instructions."

The mean

9. The following table shows the spectroscopic rain-band observed daily at 10 a. value for the year was 2·6,