4o6 



NA TURE 



[Septembkr 15, 1923 



Brazilian Meteorological Service, 1921-23. 



A SHORT report issued by Dr. Sempais Ferraz, 

 •^^ the director of the Brazilian Meteorological 

 Service, contains an account of the work acconiplLshed 

 under his auspices since its inauguration as an in- 

 dependent service in June 1921. Prior to this date, 

 meteorological activities in Brazil were carried out 

 by departments primarily constituted for some other 

 purpose, and were confined to researches in pure 

 climatology. What little forecasting was done was 

 available only in the capital. No publications were 

 issued except the Year-book for 1910 and " Instruc- 

 tions to Observers." With the progress of meteor- 

 ology and the resulting rapid creation of new services, 

 this dependence became impossible, and in June 

 1 92 1 an independent meteorological service was estab- 

 lished. 



The numbers of second- and third-order climato- 

 logical stations have been increased from 51 and 46 

 to 74 and 78 respectively. Rainfall stations and co- 

 operative stations, of which there were 31 and 26 

 respectively in May 1921, now number 57 and 180. 

 Inspections which were previously almost non-ex- 

 istent are now actively carried out all over the 

 country. Year-books have been published for each 

 of the years 1911-18, and those for 1919 and 1920 

 are in the press, while a book of Normals has also 

 been issued. Whereas no data were published in the 

 newspapers prior to 1921, each station is now obliged 

 to publish fortnightly reports, and those stations that 

 are located in capitals of States issue daily weather 

 summaries. 



Daily forecasts for the Southern States, based on 

 synoptic data from 80 stations in Brazil, 18 in the 

 Argentine, and 6 in Uruguay, are distributed from 

 Rio de Janeiro and St. Paulo by telegraph or tele- 

 phone. Two additional distributive centres are being 

 established this year in St. Catherina and Parana. 

 Forecasts are broadcasted by radio-telephone from 

 Corcavado, while Rio's radio station sends out 

 synoptic data and forecasts for the night and following 

 days. A storm-signal service is in operation along 

 the coast, and every four hours the coastal radio 

 stations, 12 in number, broadcast the weather at the 

 time. In the large towns flags are used to indicate 



the probable weather. Owing to the topographic; 

 conditions of the country, long experience is require; 

 in dealing with wind and pressure data. Empirical 



rules have had to be devised to •".--• »« -^ -il 



circumstances. These are to be « i 

 coming memoir entitled " Foreca^' 



I^ovision Ls being made for the ^ ! 



meteorology by the establishment c 

 on those which formerly existed in Russia, 

 are at present eight of these stations in orw 

 A ten-days' bulletin is now published in all • 

 newspapKjrs, setting out the condition of 

 important crops, pasture lands, and roads. \ : i !■ ; . 

 reports are published monthly in the niaui/ii.. 

 Phonological observations are also made. 



All the rainfall data are under revision, and an 

 atlas is to be pubhshed shortly which will include . 

 general discussion of the different zonal dry and W' 

 seasons. A flood service for the Parahyba river h- 

 been inaugurated, and a similar service is beii. 

 arranged for the Amazon, where floods occasion con- 

 siderable destruction amongst cattle. 



Pilot-balloon observations are now made at sevf " 

 stations. The establishment of a kite station : 

 Alegrete (Rio Grande do Sul) is exp>ected to reve 

 interesting data of the secondary circulation in 

 region which Brazilian meteorolo^sts have describe ; 

 as the " turn-table " of moving highs and a frequent 

 path of outgoing depressions. A second kite station 

 to be established at Ceara is expected to furnish ;. 

 explanation of the curious irregular droughts of norti: 

 eastern Brazil and a p>ossible method of forecasting 

 them. It is hoped that the pursuit of aerological 

 research in Brazil, besides its practical assistance to 

 aviation, " will help the eminent meteorologists of 

 the world in their search for the missing links of 

 general dynamic theories of the atmosphere." 



This record of twenty months' work is all the more 

 gratifying when account is taken of the difficulties 

 which, as the author points out, beset meteorological 

 activity in Brazil. Brazil has a highly intellectual 

 6lite, but the mass of the people have scarcely any 

 education. Observers have to be paid, as voluntary 

 co-operation at present is unavailable. P. I. M. 



Sir Isaac Newton and the S.P.C.K. 



C OME recent references which a correspondent has 

 *^ recently had occasion to make to Thomas 

 HoUis's " Memoirs," published in 1780 (4to, 2 vols.), 

 have led to the unearthing by him of an interesting 

 draft letter attributed to Sir Isaac Newton, of which 

 no mention is made in Brewster's " Life." The 

 chronicler relates that, in September 1764, Mr. 

 Hawksbee, son of Mr. Hawksbee, sometime clerk to 

 the Royal Society, waited upon Mr. HoUis with the 

 copy of a paper written by Sir Isaac Newton, con- 

 taining minutes of his opinion against a proposal which 

 had been made to the Royal Society to accommodate 

 the members of the Society for Promoting Christian 

 Knowledge, then newly instituted, with the use of the 

 Society's house for its meetings. Mr. Hawksbee, the 

 father, had shown Hollis the original in Sir Isaac's 

 own handwriting, but could not be prevailed on to 

 part with it. He goes on to say that Hollis was glad, 

 however, to obtain a copy in Hawksbee's handwriting, 

 from his son, a soldier in the artillery. 



In 1698-9 the S.P.C.K. was beginning to take 

 definite shape as a result of the efforts of a small 

 band of enthusiasts. Indeed, a tentative plan of 

 constitution was put forward aljout then by Dr. Bray, 



NO. 28 II, VOL. 112] 



who suggested that " these persons " be incorp>orated 

 by charter as [like] the Royal Society, and Sons of the 

 Clergy ; and be thereby empowered to " meet and 

 consult as often as there shall be occasion." Sir 

 Isaac's letter was drawn up apparently while the 

 Royal Society was in occupation at Gresham College, 

 and in the early days of the S.P.C.K. Sir Isaac say 

 " I never heard of them before." 



Subjoined is the letter referred to above. Its teruia 

 are of singular interest as a defence against encroach- 

 ment : 



" We have a reputation abroad, and the Society for 

 Promoting Christian Knowledge, are scarce known at 

 home ; I never heard of them before. And to admit 

 them into our bosom would be, in a little time, to 

 share our reputation with them. 



" We are incorporated by the crown ; and to herd 

 ourselves with a club not yet incorporated, would be 

 ingratitude to our Founder. 



" Our house was built by benefactions ; and to 

 divert it to other uses than our benefactors intended 

 would be ingratitude to their memory- ; and a dis- 

 couragement to future benefactions. 



" If we once lend our house, time will make custom. 





