CLIMATE. 357 



rainfall in this region by the total annual fall and by tlie frequency 

 of heavy falls. Thus we find that at Ugi, in 1883, on 56 days the 

 fall exceeded an inch ; and that at Santa Anna, more than an inch 

 of rain fell on 41 days. At Ugi, the daily records on eighteen occa- 

 sions exceeded two inches ; at Santa there was a lesser number of 

 falls of over two inches, viz. 11. 



If I were to estimate the probable annual I'ainfall at the coast in 

 this part of the Solomon Group, I should place it at not far under 

 150 inches. Although only possessing the rain-register for a small 

 portion of 1882, I am of the opinion, from having spent a large part 

 of the year in this eastern end of the group, that the fall for 1882 

 was heavier than the rainfall actually registered for 1883;^ although 

 this is but a conjecture, it enables me to estimate the probable 

 annual fall with some confidence at about 150 inches at the coast in 

 this eastern end of the group. 



The observations made on board the ship amongst the islands of 

 Bougainville Straits (Treasury, Shortlands, Faro, etc.) during por- 

 tions of the year 1883 and 1884 now claim our notice. As shown 

 on page 8G5, 00-43 inches of rain fell in the five months from June 

 to October of 1883, this amount being a little under that which fell 

 at Ugi (65-70 inches) and at Santa Anna (6772 inches) in the same 

 period, the two regions lying towai'ds the opposite ends of the 

 group. During the same period of the following year, we measured 

 67"G6 inches of rain in Bougainville Straits, an amount a little in 

 excess of that of the previous year. During the same periods, i.e., 

 from June to October inclusive, in 1883 and 188 !•, there were the 

 following number of rainy days, 120 in the one year and 118 in 

 the other. At Santa Anna and Ugi, at the opposite end of the 

 group, the total of rainy days for the same period in 1883, numbered 

 only two-thirds of the amount in Bougainville Straits. During 

 these five months in 1883 there were 16 daily records of over an 

 inch of rain in Bougainville Straits ; at Santa Anna and Ugi, in the 

 same period, there were 23 and 26 daily records exceeding an inch. 

 In the same period of 1884, in Bougainville Straits, there were 22 

 such daily records, but the total fall was about 7 inches greater than 

 in the previous year. 



I may now draw some inferences from the above observations. 

 In the first place, it is probable that the annual coast rainfall of 

 Boug-ainville Straits and that of the eastern end of the Solomon 



^ Vide footnote referring to number of rainy days in 1882 on p. .Sc6. 



