66 Report .S.A.A. Advancement of Science. 



ing full) with the other instruments, their defects and the means o[ 

 remedying the same, and an attempt was made to encourage the 

 study of clouds by inserting the letterjjress given in the " Internationai 

 Cloud Atlas." As the readings of the Hygrometer were absolutely 

 worthless in many cases, owing to incrustations of salts on the Wet 

 Bulb the policy was adopted of supplying each observer with wick 

 and muslin sufficient for one year. 



Attention was next turned to the exposure of thermometers, as- 

 the pattern of " StCAenson Screen '" then in use seemed to admit of 

 the various thermometers being affected by both .solar and terrestrial 

 radiation. After careful consideration the improved and enlarged 

 pattern of " Stevenson Screen,'' designed by Mr. Wragge, the Govern- 

 ment Meteorologist of Queensland, was adopted. Seeing that our 

 rain-gauges, although intended to be exposed at an elevation of four 

 feet aliOAe ground, were fixed at different heights at different stations, 

 plans were drawn up for the construction of a 3-foot pillar, into which 

 the rain-gauge is inserted to such a depth that the rim or knife-edge 

 is one foot higher. This was so designed as to admit of the rain- 

 gauge being easily withdrawn either for examination or replacement,, 

 and has been adopted as the standard pattern. The process of with- 

 drawing the old Sii)hon Barometers has been continued, with the 

 result that the much superior Marine Barometer is now in universal 

 use at all our Second Order .Stations. 



At the instigation of Dr. J. D. F. Gilchrist. Marine Biologist to 

 the Cape Colony, a series of observatii)ns of Temperature and State 

 of the Sea. together with investigations of the Littoral Currents by 

 means of Drift Bottles has been entered upon, and the results for cer- 

 tain years have already be^n pul;l!shed. In this matter we hav? 

 been indebted to the Union-Castle Steamship Company for valuable 

 assistance, the bottles with the necessary post-cards enclosed being 

 entrusted to the care of the captains of their mail boats going round 

 the coast, to be set adrift at fourteen different points. 



In fact, all our energies have been devoted during the last six 

 years to improving the existing organisation so as to render it more 

 efficient, and at the same time to bring it into line with international 

 usage. To carry this still further, the form in which our results have 

 been published has been gradually altered, and various additions 

 made, until now the whole style of publication has been altered from 

 what it was in 1896. One of the most important additions to our 

 yearly report is the inclusion of returns from the De Beers First 

 Order Station, the only one of its kind in all Africa, at Kenihvorth, 

 near Kimberle\ . This station is under the very able management of 

 that enthusiastic meteorologist. Mr. J. R. Sutton, whose valuable 

 constributions to the " South African Philosophical Society " have 

 thrown a great deal of light on some of the many problems of plateau 

 meteorology, and have at the same time removed a number of 

 erroneous impressions derived from the discussion of previous 

 observations. 



The sum total of these labours is that there are now in opera- 

 tion : (a) T First Order Station at Kenilworth (Kimberley) ; (b) i 



