readings became fewer, ceasing almost entirely on October 24th, not to be 

 renewed till February, igog. 



The maximum temperature was 57'0° F. on November loth, and the 

 minimum was I2'5° F. on November 27th. The average maximum and 

 minimum readings were 46'8° F. and 20*5° F. respectively. 



On December 5th the expedition left Yii-hn Fu and commenced the 

 journey to Yen-an Fu, about 170 miles to the south. The country passed 

 through was chiefly of low loess hills cut up in every direction by deep ravines 

 and valleys, along which the roads chiefly lay. The observations were kept 

 up as usual. The lowest temperature experienced during the whole winter 

 occurred on this journey at Kan-ku-yii, just before reaching Yen-an Fu, on 

 the night of December iSth-igth. The thermometer registered 38 degrees of 

 frost (-6-0° F.). 



The wind was from the south on the day that the expedition left Yii-lin 

 Fu, but blew from the north each of the three days following. It veered 

 round to the south-east on the 9th, and then to the north-west on the loth. 

 After this date it was recorded almost daily as variable. These winds, which 

 seem to come from every quarter at once, are typical of North China. It is 

 impossible for the traveller to find any bank or crevice in the loess which will 

 shelter him from this cold and searching wind. 



Cirrus and cumulus clouds predominated as usual, stratus and nimbus 

 being each recorded but once. Slight hoar frost was recorded on the 19th, 

 on which date Yen-an Fu was reached. 



December 19th to Slst, 1908. Yen-an Fu. Altitude 2769 ft. 



During these twelve days fine but cold weather was experienced. A light 

 wind blew continually, but its direction was only recorded thrice, namely, once 

 from the south, once from the south-west, and once from the north-east. At 

 other times it was the same variable wind experienced on the journey from 

 Yii-lin Fu to Yen-an Fu. Frequently the sky was clear, though cirrus and 

 cumulus clouds were noted. 



The maximum temperature experienced was 40*0° F. on the 29th, whilst 

 the minimum was 3*5° F. on the 20th. Average maximum and minimum 

 temperatures were 34*3° F. and 12*2° F. respectively. The highest 

 barometrical reading was 27*26 inches on the 31st, the lowest was 2672 

 inches, and the average of the twenty-five readings was 26*90 inches. 



No observations for humidity were made, while neither snow nor 

 hoar-frost occurred. Rain, of course, was out of the question with such low 

 temperatures. , 



144 



