1891.] 147 [Rothrock. 



introduced, under the intelligent and earnest direction of Gov. Sir Ambrose 

 Shea, into the Bahamas, where they promise soon to furnish large quanti- 

 ties of fibre which will rival manila in the markets of the world. 



From Publication No. 86, of the U. S. Hydrographic Office for the Year 

 1888, p.ige 1, I quote the following: "The sea breeze generally sets in 

 about 9 A.M., and, blowing either directly on shore, or, according to the 

 trend of the coast line, at an angle to it, continues till about sunset, when 

 a calm interval is succeeded by a light off-shore air, attaining its greatest 

 strength about day dawn, &nd being succeeded by an oppressive calm, to 

 be again followed by the sea breeze. On the coasts of Cuba, Santo Do- 

 mingo, Puerto Rico and Jamaica, the regular sequence of land and sea 

 breezes is seldom interrupted." So far as our observation could go in so 

 brief a period, we can entirely confirm this general statement. These 

 local breezes must not, however, be confounded with the trade winds 

 which, from latitude 28 N., come normally from the N.E. or E.N.E. and 

 sweep over the ocean areas in which these islands lie. Neither must we 

 lose sight of the fact that, at Kingston, in Jamaica, the wind comes the 

 year through almost constantly from the S.E. 



Observation has shown that during the months of November, Decem- 

 ber and January frequent rains fall upon the northern side of the island 

 of Jamaica. It would appear as if the direction of these trade winds and 

 the position of the island of Cuba might explain some notable differences 

 in the distribution of this winter rain upon the northern shore of Jamaica. 

 From Cape Maysi, on the eastern end of Cuba, to Morant Point, the east- 

 ern end of Jamaica, the direction is N.E. N. or about N. 39 E. The dis- 

 tance is about 180 nautical miles. Port Antonio bears by the compass 

 from Cape Maysi about 8 more to the westward than Morant Point. 

 Both of these places are, however, fairly in the line of the N.E. trade 

 winds, which may reach them without sweeping over the mountainous, 

 fog-enveloped eastern end of Cuba. It is important to bear in mind that 

 these mountains on the eastern end of Cuba attain a height of 7000 feet 

 and must have a temperature considerably below that, of the sea level. 

 A line drawn from Lucea, on the northwestern end of Jamaica, would 

 cut the mountains of Cuba about 100 miles from the eastern end. In 

 other words, the trade winds from the N.E., to strike Lucea, must first 

 cross the mountains of Cuba, where, by the lower temperature, the mois- 

 ture is precipitated. Whereas, the normal N.E. trade wind can reach 

 Port Antonio without having to cross the Cuban mountains. The latter 

 reach the Jamaica coast as wet winds, whose moistu re is precipitated on 

 the northern side of Eastern Jamaica ; but the winds which reach Lucea 

 come as dry winds. 



The facts, as observed by us, were, first, the large aqueous precipitation 

 of Port Antonio and the small precipitation at Lucea. The whole fact 

 is briefly expressed by the saying of the sailors, that to find Port An- 

 tonio you had but to enter the blackest, rainiest port on the northern 

 side of Jamaica. 



PROC. AMER. PHILOS. SOC. XXIX. 133. T. PRINTED DEC. 31, 1891. 



