xxxvi INTRODUCTION. 



Friendly Islands is seldom felt at the north and south islands, but 

 the islands lying between the two rarely escape : this is another proof 

 of the direction in which these storms move, and the fact that we 

 have no accounts of the same gale having been felt before or after at 

 the Feejee Islands, lying west and northwest of the Group, would 

 seem to confirm the evidence that the directions across the Friendly 

 Group are from the northeast to the southwest. 



FEEJEE ISLANDS. We were but two days making the Feejee 

 Group, with the trade wind from nearly east, and an overcast sky. 

 The islands lie nearly west of the former, distant about 300 miles. 

 The position we occupied, was at the island of Ovolao, where we re- 

 mained for 48 days, during the months of May and June, the greater 

 part of which time the observations were made at the Observatory, on 

 the eastern side of the island. The island of Ovolau rises very pre- 

 cipitately to the height of 2060 feet. During our stay, the weather 

 was fine and the winds moderate and variable, prevailing from the 

 eastward for most of the time. The temperature of the air and water 

 varied, the former from 60 to 94, and the latter from 78'3 to 81, 

 the mean temperature of the air 77'81, and the mean standing of the 

 barometer 29-997 inches ; the greatest oscillation of the barometric 

 column '4 20 in: the rise of the column is produced by southeast winds, 

 while it falls with those from the north and west. The weather is 

 generally clear, except when the southeast winds blow strong, when 

 the atmosphere becomes hazy. The height of the vapour plain was 

 found to be 1900 feet above the level of the sea. It will be perceived 

 that the range of the thermometer is greater than at Tonga. The 

 summer months, from October to March, are considered the worst 

 period of the year, when the northerly and westerly winds are expe- 

 rienced, and at times severe storms pass over the islands. The winter 

 months, from May till September, are considered the finest; then the 

 winds prevail more constantly from the southeast ; they blow at this 

 time much fresher. The climate has a general resemblance to that of 

 Tahiti, and the mean annual temperature very nearly corresponds. 

 At the Feejee Islands it has a greater range. During our stay in the 

 Group, stormy weather occurred but once, when the thermometer fell 

 to 70, the wind from the southeast ; the barometer rose at this time 

 145 in. above its mean standing. This eifect upon the barometer 

 excited my attention, as I had frequently observed it before, when in 

 the vicinity of high land, and on the side of it which is exposed to 

 the southeast trades. A sufficient cause for it may be found in the 

 obstruction the high islands may cause to the aerial current, thus 



