Meesox. — The Rainfall of New Zealand. 569 



■creases the rainfall of the country immediately around it ; for, if 

 rain be caused by the chilling of air charged with moisture, 

 and this chilling can be brought about by (1) currents of such 

 air ascending, or (2) striking against cold grouud, or (3) mix- 

 ing with air of lower temperature, it is easy to see how the 

 moisture-laden winds from the ocean striking against a peak 

 8,000ft. high and close on the shore must be obhged to pre- 

 cipitate largely their precious burden. 



There are many other special and interesting questions in 

 connection with the rainfall that it would be well worth our 

 while to investigate, such as — the influence of neighbouring 

 oceauic ciuTcnts, the proportion of oiu' rainfall which is carried 

 into the sea by our impetuous rivers, the average number of 

 days in the year when rain comes at the several seasons and 

 in the different districts, the time of maximum rainfall, the 

 cycles of dry and wet years, the precise locahties and periodicity 

 of droughts and excessive rainfall, the heaviest daily falls 

 recorded, the monthly rain-probability for different districts, 

 the relation between indigenous forest and rainfall, kc. 



The subject of weather is a very important one, and one 

 which is not, as far as New Zealand is concerned, by any 

 means worked out, or even, as yet, well understood. Indeed, 

 this remark need not be Hmited to New Zealand. Weather- 

 saws, smacking of bygone times, are plentiful enough, and a 

 species of forecasting was probably practised in ages rendered 

 to us indistinct by the mists of antiquity ; but systematic fore- 

 casting, founded on isobaric charts (^Buchan's) and accurate 

 knowledge of physical phenomena, is a science of yesterday, if. 

 indeed, it be a science at all as yet. It is, however, not quite 

 true now that *' the wind bloweth where it Hsteth, and man 

 cannot tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth," for patient 

 and skilful workers have long been, gathering meteorological 

 facts, and, according to the Baconian inductive method, build- 

 ing theories thereon, many of which must be considered as 

 incontestably established. What we have to do in respect to 

 our colony is to make exact observations, gather accurate 

 statistics, and examine them by the hght of the general prin- 

 ciples which have been worked out for us by such men as 

 Dove, Loomis, Hann, Buchan, Scott, Abercrombie, Ley, and 

 Ferrel. Thus, and only thus, we may hope to understand the 

 weather to v.hich we are subject. 



