493 



TABLE VI. Percentage Distribution of Wind Direction at Ciipe Adare during the Eleven Months 



March, 1899, to January, 1900. 



(The observations were made every two hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) 



From February, 1902, to February, 1903, the German Antarctic exploration vessel "Gauss" was 

 imprisoned in the ice just within the Antarctic Circle in longitude 90 E. It will be noticed that her sojourn 

 in the ice corresponds to the first half of the " Discovery's " stay at Ross Island, and although the two 

 places are nearly 90 of longitude apart, yet the wind frequency experienced was strikingly similar at 

 loth places. The position of the " Gauss " was, from a meteorological point of view, entirely satisfactory, 

 so that in her case, at any rate, there can be no question of purely local influences having affected the 

 direction of the wind she experienced. The predominance of easterly winds was, however, most marked 

 throughout the entire period of the vessel's stay, as was also the second striking feature of the " Discovery " 

 observations the frequency of calms ; the number of calms was, however, slightly less, whilst the number 

 of westerly winds was rather above the number observed at Discovery Bay. 



The following table, summarizing the " Gauss " results for the seasons, is given by Dr. MEINARDUS : 



TABLE VII. "Gauss" Winter Quarters, Latitude 66 2' S., Longitude 89 38' E. 

 February 19, 1902, to February 18, 1903. 



The results are given in greater detail in Table VIII. 



It will be seen, therefore, that the suggestion of a wide distribution for the easterly wind cm-rent 

 observed at the Winter Quarters of the " Discovery " finds support in the observations made at these two 

 widely separated places in the Antarctic region, in both of which there was found the same marked 

 persistence of winds from the east, comparative rarity of winds from the west, and noticeable frequency of 

 calms. 



Observations of the direction and force of the wind were also made on board the " Scotia," the vessel of 

 the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition, during two summer cruises in the Weddell Sea, first in 

 February and March, 1903, and again in March, 1904. The region covered on these cruises was roughly 

 that between the meridians of 45 W. and 10 W., and the parallels of 60 S. and 73 S., and, therefore, it 

 lay far to the north of Discovery Bay, and also about 160* to the westward, and at so great a distance the 

 meteorological conditions governing the movements of the air may have differed materially from those at 

 Ross Island. The short Table IX. of the relative frequency of the winds is obtained from a diagram 

 given by Mr. MOSSMAX in a paper printed in the 'Scottish Geographical Magazine' for May, 1906. 



