KEW OBSERVATORY AND METEOROLOGY 239 



divergent spikes directed towards each of the sixteen 

 primary points of the compass, whose several lengths 

 are proportional to the frequency of winds in their 

 direction. A shade or other sign shows the propor- 

 tion of the winds above a specified strength. Con- 

 sequently the roses afford means for judging which 

 of two competing courses receives, on the average, 

 the greater share of favourable winds. But it is 

 no easy matter to calculate by mother-wit the relative 

 efficiency of the winds as expressed by roses, upon 

 the run of a ship along any particular course. Almost 

 every wind can be utilised to some degree ; we want 

 to know the aggregate effect in the required direction 

 of the average of the winds from all the sixteen 

 primary points. I showed how this could be found 

 mechanically for any ship whose sailing qualities 

 were known, and suggested that " passage roses " 

 should be calculated for a typical vessel wherever 

 wind roses existed. I think this would have been 

 taken in hand, had not steam begun to largely super- 

 sede sails, and was doing so at a rapidly increasing 

 rate. 



I was rather scandalised by finding how little was 

 known to nautical men of the sailing qualities of their 

 own ships, along each of the sixteen points of the 

 compass, assuming a moderate sea, and a moderate 

 wind blowing steadily from one direction. I think, 

 if I had a yacht, that this would be the first point I 

 should wish to ascertain in respect to her perform- 

 ances. 



When the Meteorological Council was established, 

 its first President was that most accomplished classical 

 scholar, as well as mathematician, Professor Henry 



