428 



chiefly from an easterly, south-easterly, or southerly direction, l>ut the commonest winds were the south- 

 easterly and southerly. Out of 244 observations of wind, 112 come under the head " Calm." The wind's 

 mean force, as estimated, is computed as 1-4, yet gales occurred on 24 days. On 41 days the weather 

 was noted as overcast, and on 22 days the sky was cloudless. Rain fell on 1 day, snow on 30. 



A* *ke "Discovery's" Winter Quarters, in McMurdo Sound, a severe gale was experienced in May, 1902, 

 a gale which Captain SCOTT considered one of the heaviest, if not the heaviest, which visited the locality 

 during the time the Expedition remained there. 



On the 2nd of the month, at noon, the barometer stood at 29 '057 inches, and the thermometer at 

 - 7 '2 F. Pressure was diminishing and temperature increasing. The wind, at east-south-east, was then 

 estimated at force 6, and the weather was overcast and squally. Between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. the wind 

 veered and increased rapidly from southward. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., wind force was estimated at 8 ; 

 and at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., at 9. At midnight the wind's force was estimated at 10, but the Robinson 

 anemometer recorded a velocity of only 39 miles an hour between 10 p.m. and midnight. The remark is 

 made at 10 p.m., however, " furious gusts." At midnight the mercury had dropped to 28 '999 inches, and 

 the temperature commenced to rise slowly. The gale continued to blow until 6 a.m. of the 4th, with a 

 velocity varying from 44 to 25 miles an hour, and with an estimated force of from 9 to 10; the 

 temperature fluctuating between - 7 F. and 18 F., but rising steadily from 6 or 8 p.m. on the 3rd up 

 to 8 a.m. on the 4th. 



At 8 a.m. of the 4th the wind had backed to south-east, and moderated to a fresh breeze, while the 

 temperature had risen to 19 F. 



Of this gale Captain SCOTT says, in his ' Voyage of the " Discovery " ' : " The wind swung round in a 

 manner which gave all the indications of a revolving storm whose centre narrowly missed us ; the 

 temperature remained extraordinarily high for several days (with the wind between south and east, north- 

 east, or calm, but principally at south-east) after the storm ; and it was not until the 9th (1 6th) that it 

 again fell below zero, and then it fell rapidly (the wind being from east). On other occasions the 

 temperature rose regularly with a southerly wind, but fell when the wind dropped or changed direction." 



Another notable gale, which may be regarded as typical of the gales experienced by the Expedition 

 while in McMurdo Sound, occurred on the 18th and 19th of July, 1902. On this occasion the wind 

 appears to have blown with greater violence, but for a shorter period, not lasting for more than 24 hours. 



At 4 a.m. on the 18th the barometer, which gave a reading of 29 -707 inches, commenced to fall 

 slowly ; and at the same time the thermometer, then reading 8 F., began to rise slightly. The wind, 

 from south-south-east, was moderate in force, the sky overcast, and snow was falling. At 4 p.m. the 

 mercury had fallen to 29 '492 inches, and the temperature had risen to 12 F. The wind which since 

 8 a.m. had been moderate to fresh, but squally from between south and south-south-east, then commenced 

 to freshen and the squalls to become more violent ; snow was still falling, and continued to fall until the 

 gale was over. At this time pressure began to increase slowly. Between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. the 

 anemometer showed a wind velocity of 47 miles an hour ; and at 10 p.m. the wind was logged as a 

 whole gale from south-south-west. Except for a few lulls, which occurred at 2 a.m. on the 19th, the wind 

 continued to blow from between south-south-west and south with an estimated force varying from 10 to 

 11, until noon on the 19th. Between 10 a.m. and noon of that day the anemometer, records of which had 

 not been entered since 6 p.m. of the 18th, showed a velocity of 55 miles an hour. The weather was 

 squally throughout. At 4 a.m. pressure had increased to 29 '660 inches and began to decline slightly ; at 

 6 a.m. the gale increased and the mercury had fallen to 29-620 inches. At 8 a.m., the barometer, still at 

 29-620 inches, commenced to rise; the force of the wind was then estimated at 11. A lull took place at 

 11 a.m., lasting for three-quarters of an hour, " when the wind drew to west-south-west, but went back to 

 south by west, and blew strong again in heavy gusts." At 2 p.m. the wind had backed to south-east, and 

 the barometer was rising steadily; the temperature was then 14 -8 F., no observation for temperature 

 having been recorded between 10 p.m. of the 18th and 2 p.m. of the 19th. From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. the 

 wind velocity, by anemometer, had decreased to :)") miles per hour, between 4 and S p.m. to about 27 miles 

 an hour, at 4 p.m. the gale was over, and at 10 p.m. the wind was from east-south-east, a moderate breeze. 



In regard to these two gales, it will be seen that pressure decreased and temperature rose prior to the 



