34 



Introduction: Seasons and Winds. 



The Habnahera Group. These islands lying under or near the equator are 

 chiefly under the influence of northerly winds from December to April and 

 southerly ones from June to October, and as they are therefore not sheltered 

 by any great land-masses they receive much rain with both winds. According 

 to Dr. van der Stok there is "a principal maximum in June and July and a 

 secondary maximum in January", but the rainfall seems to be chiefly determined 

 by the position of the place concerned — whether it lies on the windward or 

 lee shore of the island with sheltering hills behind. The climate is stated to 

 be healthy. In Ternate the thermometer seldom rises higher than 30" C. (23.5" R., 

 85" F.); in Halmahera the mean temperature on the coast is about 30" C. at 

 midday and 23" C. at night. 



Bunt and Ceram. — In consequence of the high mountain- chains which 

 intersect these islands from west to east, a wall is presented to the alternating 

 N. W. and S. E. Monsoons, so that, when the former is blowing, the northern 

 or windward sides of the islands have their rainy season, while the southern 

 sides, being sheltered by the mountains, are fine. This wind dominates from 

 December to March. From May or June till October, when the S. E. Monsoon 

 is blowing, the previous state of things is reversed; the southern parts now 

 get their rainy and the northern their fine season. 



In the "Jahresb. des Ver. f. Erdk. zu Dresden", 1892, 159, 160, Mr. C. Rib be 

 writes: "The climate of Ceram is one of the heathiest and most agi-eeable ex- 

 perienced by me in the Indies ; from my tables of the temperature I find that 

 the greatest degree of heat at Illu was 32 'A" C. in the shade, the lowest 20" C. 

 ... By shifting quarters according to the time of year, it is possible to live 

 in a perpetual spring, for the great heat, as also the wearisome rainy season 

 can be avoided : you build your hut now on the south and then on the north 

 coast of the island. ... It would not be safe, however, to conclude that these 

 weather conditions recur from year to year with mechanical regularity; on the 

 other hand frequent exceptions to the rule take place, from which the travelling 

 naturalist may have to suffer severely". 



The rainfall has been studied at two places in Ceram — at Wahaai on 

 the north coast and at Amahei nearly opposite on the south coast, spots which 

 are separated by mountains from 6000 — 10,000 feet high. The following monthly 

 averages for 1 5 years show the contrast in the seasons at the two spots. 



'J'he figures for February on the one hand and for July and August on the 

 other are particularly instructive. The respective Monsoons are then especially 

 well developed. 



Amboiiia and Saparua. These islands lying under the shelter of the south 



