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This shows it to have been fired about 6 hours in advance of the heaviest blow, which was on an average 85 m. p. h. (full typhoon force), but the ample warnings issued far in advance render this signal superfluous, and I suggest that it be discontinued.

10. Too great credit cannot be given to Mr. FIGG, our eminent weather-forecaster, for the services he has rendered and of which an account is given in the previous paragraphs. His warnings have saved enormous sums of money for the wealthy communities of the Far East, and have indeed been a benefit to nearly all who trade in these seas, quite apart from the lives which have thereby been preserved.

11. The China Coast Meteorological Register was printed at the Observatory, and information regarding storms was telegraphed to and exhibited on notice boards in Hongkong and elsewhere as often and as fully as such information could be justified by the weather telegrams received. This happened on 90 days in 1896. The Red Drum was hoisted 7 times, the Black Drum 3 times, the Red South Cone 3 times, the Black South Cone 8 times, the Black Ball 5 times, two Lanterns vertically twice. The Gun was fired one round 4 times, two rounds once in 1896.

Printed expresses were circulated on 5 occasions.

12. Telegraphic connection with Victoria was interrupted on the 9th June, 1896, from 3,30 p. to 6.30 p.; on the 29th July from 3.15 p. to 5.56 p.; from the 29th July at 7 p. to 1st August at 2.30 p.; on the 13th August from 10.22 a. to 12.27 p.; on the 26th August from 10.40 a. to 11.30 a.; on the 27th August from 11.30 a. to 1.10 p.; on the 24th November from 12.5 p. to 2.54 P. Inter- ruptions occurred therefore on 9 days, and, of course, also during thunderstorms.--Telephone connection with the Peak was interrupted from the 23rd February at 9 a. to 24th February at 11.37 a.; from the 20th March at 11 a. to 22nd March at 3.45 p.; from the 12th June at 5 p. to 15th June at 7 a.; from the 22nd June at 8 p. to 23rd June at 11 a.; from the 29th July at 6 p. to 6th August at from the 7th October at 3 p. to 8th October at 7 a.; from the 8th October at noon to 9th October at 7 a., i.e., on 23 days as well as during thunderstorms.

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13. During 1896, in addition to meteorological registers kept at 40 stations on shore, 2151 ship-logs have been copied on board or forwarded by the captains. The total number of vessels, whose log books have been made use of was 325. The total number of days' observations (counting separately those inade on board different ships on the same day) was 18541.

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14. The following is a list of ships from which logs have been obtained in 1896. Those to which * is prefixed have been communicated directly by their Captains, and the remainder have been copied on board the several vessels. The majority are steamships and the others are distinguished as follows: bk., barque; sh., ship; sch., schooner; bqt., barquentine:-*Activ, *Aden, Alfrida, *Áglaia, *Airlie, *Amara, Amigo, *Ancona, *Anjer Head, *Apenrade, *Argyll, Arratoon Apcar, *Ariake Maru, *Ask, *Asloun, Australia, Australian, Azamor, *Bayern, *Belgic, Belle of Bath (sh.), Bellona, Benledi, *Bengloe, Benmohr, Benvenue, Bisagno, Bittern (bqt.), *Bombay, *Borneo, *Braemar, *Brindisi, Britannic, Brodick Castle (sh.), *Bygdo, *Canton, Casa Blanca (bk.), *Cassius, *Catherine Apcar, *Centurion (H.M.S.), *Cephalonia, Cerastes (sh.), Ceres, *Ceylon, *Chasına (bk.), *Changsha, Charles E. Moody (sh.), *Chelydra, *China, *Chingping, *Chingtu, *Chi Yuen, *Chowfa, *Chowtai, Choysang, *Chunshan, City of Dublin, City of Peking, Clan MacFarlane (sh.), *Clara, Clio, *Columbus (sh.), Commodore T. H. Allan (sh.), Čongella, *Conqueror (sh.), *Coptic, *Cosmopolit, Creedmoor (sh.), *Cromarty, *Dagmar, Daniel Barnes (sh.), Dante, *Dardanus, *Decima, *Deucalion, *Deuteros, Devawongse, Diomed, Donar, Doric, Doris, *Dorothea Rickmers, * Ekaterinoslav, El Capitan (sh.), *Elektra, Elizabeth (bk.), Elizabeth Rickmers, Emily Whitney (sh.), *Empress of China, *Empress of India, Empress of Japan, *Energia, *Erato, *Esmeralda, *Evandale, *Federation, *Flintshire, *Foochow, Foohng Suey (bk.), *Fooksang, *Formosa, Fort Stuart (sh.), Freiburg (sh.), *Frejr, *Frigga, *Fushun, *Gaelic, Gerard C. Tobey (bk.), Gerda, *Germania, *Ghazee, Glenavon, *Glenearn, Glenfalloch, *Glenfarg, Glenfruin, *Glenogle, *Glenshiel, Gloucester City, Governor Robie (sh.), *Grafton (H.M.S.), *Guthrie, *Haimun, *Haitan, *Hankow, *Hanoi, Harland (sh.), *Harrow, Helen Brewer (sh.), *Hertha, *Hikosan Maru, *Hinsang, *Hiroshima Maru, Hohenzollern, *Holstein, *Hongkong, *Hongleong, *Humber (H.M.S.), *Hupeh, *Hydaspes, *Idzumi Maru, *Ingraban, *Invertay, Irene, Isaac Reed (sh.), Ivy (sh.), *Ixion, *Jacob Christensen, *Japan, Java, Josephus (sh.), Kachidate Maru, Kaipan (I.M.C.C.), *Kaisar-I-Hind, *Kalgan, Kangra, *Karlsruhe, *Keemun, *Keong Wai, *Khedive, Kintuck, Knight of St. John, *Kong Alf, *Kongbeng, Kristina Nielsson (brig.), *Kutsang, L. Schepp (sh), Lightning, Likin (I.M.C.C.), *Loongmoon, *Loosok, *Lothair (bk.), *Lyderhorn, Lyeemoon, *Macduff, *Machew, *Malacca, *Manila, Manuel Slaguno (sh.), Marie Jebsen, Marquis Bacquehem, *Mascotte, *Mathilde, *Mazagon, *Meefoo, *Melbourne, *Memnon, Menelaus, *Menmuir, *Miike Maru, *Mirzapore, Mogul, *Mongkut, *Monmouthshire, *Mount Lebanon, *Namoa, *Namyong, *Nanchang, *Nanshan, *Nanyang, *Narcissus (H.M.S.), *Natal, *Nerite, *Nestor, *Ningchow, *Niobe, Northbrook (bk.), *Oaufa, *Ocampo, *Oceana, Olivia, (bk.) *Omi Maru, *Onsang, *Oolong, *Oopack, *Orestes, Orient (bk.), *Orono, *Orestes, *Osborne, *Oslo, *Pakhoi, *Palawan, Paramita (sh.), *Pathan, Patroclus, Paul Revere (sh.), *Pectan, *Peiyang, Pekin, Peru, Peshawur, *Petrarch, *Phra Chom Klao *Phra Chula Chom Klao, *Phra Nang, *Picciola, *Pigmy (H.M.S.), *Pingsuey, *Pique (H.M.S.), *Produce, *Preussen,

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