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On the 13th pressure was high over N. China and a considerable increase had taken place on the S. Coast of China and the barometer had also risen in Luzon; Hongkong had 30.15, Hoihow 30.16, Bolinao 29.88 and Manila 29.92. Pressure was now slightly above the normal both at Hongkong and Manila. Fresh NE monsoon blew on the S. coast of China and the light SE breezes were main- tained at Bolinao. From the marine data the position of the centre at noon on this day may be given as 14° 45′, 114° 30' with accuracy from the following observations. S.S. Agamemnon 15o 10', 114° 27′ 29.58 NE 4; S.S. Pakling 14° 55', 113° 32′ 29.71 NW 6; S.S. Wingsang 13° 47', 14′′ 25′ 29.71 W/S- 6. They also indicate that the centre was a large one and show that there was a considerable area around it where the winds were comparatively light. The following information shows that strongest winds were experienced at some distance from the centre. To the W, at a distance of about 250 miles, the steamships Macduff, Holstein and Framnes experienced fierce gales from NNW; to the NNW, at s distance of from 300 to 350 miles, strong NNE winds to gales prevailed accompanied by showery and squally weather the barometer reading about 30.04; the S.S. Michael Jebsen still had a fierce NE gale at a distance of about 300 miles to the NE of the centre and strong NE monsoon prevailed at a distance of about 250 miles to the ENE of the centre which shows that the NE monsoon was spread- ing down the Eastern side of the China Sea in rear of the depression; the S.S. Albingia had only a fresh WNW breeze with the barometer reading 29.93 at a distance of 200 miles to the SW by Sof the centre.

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During the evening on board the Agamemnon they had an increasing NE gale with the barometer vising rapidly as they steered to the NNE; the Pakling, steering N, had the barometer rising with the wind veering to NE and increasing; and the Wingsang, steering NNE. passed to the rear of the depression and had the barometer rising and the wind, of force 5 only, backing to SW in the afternoon. and gradually to ESE the same night.

On the 14th pressure remained very high over N China and a further large increase had taken place on the S Coast. In Luzon the barometer had also risen considerably. Hongkong had 30.26, Hoihow 30.23, Bolinao 29.95, and Manila 30.00. Pressure was now above the normal, at Hongkong 0.15 inch, and at Manila 0.10 inch. The centre of the depression seems to have passed N of the S.S. Polyphemus at 4 a. on this day. The vessel was then situated in 14° 29', 113° 00'. A heavy W gale had been experienced up to midnight, but at 2 a. the wind dropped. At 1a. (bar. 29.80 lowest reading) it began to increase again from SE but it only attained the force of a fresh breeze. In rear of the centre the winds were extremely feeble in this disturbance. At noon the centre was probably situated in 15° 15′, 112° 00′. In rear of the centre at a distance of about 75 miles the barometer read 29.80 and moderate to fresh breezes blew from SE, the weather being squally; in the W quadrant, or in front of the centre at a distance of about 100 miles, the barometer read 29.85 and fierce gales from N and NNW prevailed. The steamships Loosok, Framnes and Macduff ran to the southward and had the wind backing to the NW and W during the evening. The S.S. Holstein held on her course to the N and had the wind veering to the E. In the NE quadrant strong gales from NE prevailed at distances varying from 150 to 400 miles from the centre. The wind direction was not, however, controlled by the depression although the force was doubtless augmented by it.

Between the 13 and 14th the disturbance traversed distance of about 150 miles, so that its rate of progression suddenly increased on the 13th.

On the 15th there yet remains a trace of the depression. To the S of Hongkong in from 17" to, 20 lat. strong breezes and moderate gales from E to NE prevailed with the barometer standing at about 30.10. The S.S. Holstein to the S of Hainan and in 17° 49′, 110° 39′ had a moderate E gale with the barometer reading 29 96. On the Annam Coast near Cape Varella the steamships Frammes and Loosok had fresh decreasing W winds in the morning, backing to SW and S at night and becom- ing light. The barometer which read about 29.93 at noon was rising. The depression was probably central near the position 15, 109 at noon, but it had apparently almost filled up.

During the last few days of the existence of this depression high pressure prevailed over China and the NE monsoon blew very strongly in the N part of the China Sea quite irrespective of the low pressure area to the Southward. In the northern semicircle the monsoon and the strong winds due to the depression itself were therefore combined and produced very heavy weather in this part of the disturbance; and in consequence of the slow motion of the latter these strong winds were main- tained for several days and many vessels steering northwards in the China Sea were delayed and suffered severely, some of them being in difficulties through running short of coal.

Extract of observations made on board ships in the Far East in 1895.

The corrections to barometer and aneroid readings made on board ships are determined as far as possible by comparing the readings entered on our forms or in the Logbooks when the vessel is in port with more reliable instruments read on shore, but no allowance can be made for scale-errors, and the index errors are supposed to vary with the tine. Observations made on board ships are usually very rough. With regard to the direction and force of the wind frequently the motion of the vessel is not taken into account. The weather symbols given are those in general use to denote the state of the sky and weather with the exception of k, which is here used whenever the term "clear" or "fine" is written is the Logbook. These latter terms are too indefinite to admit of a clear interpretation as regards the state of the sky. The following observations were all inade at noon (true time) :-