Introduction: Seasons and Winds. 35 



coast of Ceram, have their rainy season during the months of our summer, when 

 the S. E. Monsoon is blowing, and a great abundance of rain then falls. The 

 north coast of Amboina receives less rain than the south, but the seasons are 

 not so strongly contrasted as in Ceram. 



Banda Islands. "The East Monsoon brings rain and storm with it." April, 

 May and June are the wettest months, and August to November somewhat 

 the driest. 



Kei Islands. — The iine season seems to be restricted to three months of 

 the year, viz. August, September and October. 



Aru Islands. — A plentiful and generally even amount of rain fell here 

 during the year 1890. Dr. de Hollander writes: "In the West Monsoon, which 

 lasts from the beginning of December to April, the day- temperature is very 

 high, but the nights, when a heavy dew usually falls, are on the contrary cold 

 and raw ; during the East Monsoon from the middle of April till the middle of 

 November the heat of the day is less oppressive and the nights less cold. The 

 most rain falls at the turning of the Monsoons; at this time fever occasionally 

 occurs." 



New Guinea. — In Dutch New Guinea, as in other islands which are 

 intersected by high mountains, the north coast has its fine season while the 

 rainy season is on the south. Some observations at Doreh and Andei in the 

 Geelvink Bay gave the prevailing winds as east — generally due east — from 

 May to November, which is the dry season, and westerly during the other half- 

 year — the rainy season. Stormy or violent winds were rare and occurred 

 most frequently in the E. Monsoon (Meyer, Ausz. Neu Guinea Keise 1875, 

 p. 20). Van der St ok records the winds at Mansinam, western shore of the 

 Geelvink Bay, as N. E. from May to September, the drier period, and W. from 

 November to April, with a maximum rainfall in February. De Hollander 

 records the temperature as rising to as much as 35.5" C. (28.5° R., 96" F.) during 

 the E. Monsoon. 



On the west coast the "Sailing Directory of the East Indian Archipelago" 

 states that the S. E. Monsoon blows from April to November, bringing great 

 quantities of rain chiefly from June to September; the N. W. Monsoon prevails 

 from October to May, when the weather is fine and calm. 



Further down the north and north-east coast, some interesting figures, on 

 a parallel with others already given, have been sent in from three settlements 

 in Kaiser Wilhelms-Land: Finschhafen, Constantinhafen and Hatzfeldhafen. 

 Finschhafen ') lies at the head of the Finisterre Peninsula, south of the lofty 

 Finisterre Mts. which intersect the peninsula near its north coast: Constantin- 

 hafen is on the other side of the range at the head of Astrolabe Bay, and Hatz- 

 feldhafen') higher up the coast. Owing to its position, Finschhafen, together with 

 the adjacent north coast of the Huon Gulf, presents a Avindward shore to the 



') Finschhafen and Hatzfeldhafen are now abandoned. 



