Absence of Eartliqurikcfi. 293 



winds arc rather variable, and so continue to the end of 

 March, when the N. and N.W. winds begin once more to 

 blow regularly ; these bring heavy rains and foul weather, after 

 which, except that it is cold when the wind changes to West 

 with a Southerly tendency, a warmer and drier climate is ex- 

 perienced. During our stay we frequently had an opportunity 

 of verifying by observation the steady return of certain winds 

 in regular succession. For instance, after the N.E. wind had 

 prevailed for some days, it veered to N.N.W. whence it in- 

 variably went to W. by S., where it usually stayed some little 

 lime, after which it once more went to N.E. — a phenomenon 

 which went through its phases every six days with surprising 

 regularity. 



There are heavy mists during autumn, but thunder on the 

 other hand is far from frequent, nor is it particularly violent 

 when it occurs. During a residence of eighteen days we never 

 saw the centim-ade thermometer stand hioher than 66° 2' 

 Fahr., or lower than 53° 6' Fahr. Lord Macartney gave 

 62° Fahr. as the average of the thermometer during his visit 

 in February, 1793. 



As for earthquakes, a phenomenon whose occurrence at St. 

 Paul would possess an uncommon interest, Viot averred that 

 during sixteen years that he had visited the island, off and on, 

 he neither himself had perceived any indications of one, nor 

 had he at any time heard, of any such having been observed. 



On the contrary, Ferdinand (who, nevertheless, had lived but 

 eight months on the island) affirmed that his predecessor, 



