360 CLIMATE. 



upon the precipitous mountain-slopes as against some Cyclopean 

 rampart. There is no ravine or breach in the mountain-mass to 

 ease the tension. There, on those mountain-slopes, a terrific 

 precipitation must occur, which, if the annual rainfall of the coast 

 is 150 inches, will here be three or four times that amount. This 

 is no exaggerated language, but is the opinion I have formed, after 

 having carefully considered the physical geography of tliese regions. 

 The subjoined rainfalls of a few localiiies in other parts of the 

 world may be interesting to compare with that of the Solomon 

 Gnmp : ^ 



England 32 inches. 



Singapore 97 „ 



Atlantic Doldrums 225 „ 



Western Ghats 302 



Cherraponjec G 1 



» 



SoLOMOX Islands. 



(a.) at the coast 150 „ 



(b.) on the higher slopes of Guadalcanar 400 to 500 inches probably. 



Comparing the rainfall of the Solomon Islands with some results 

 obtained in other parts of the Pacific, I would draw attention to 

 the small rainfall of Port Moresby on the south-east coast of New 

 Guinea, where 34'44 inches were registered at the Mission Station 

 in 1875.^ In Fiji the rainfall appears to vary between GO and 250 

 inches per annum, according to the degree of elevation above the 

 sea, and to the position of the station on the lee or -feather sides 

 of the islands, the greatest annual falls occuring in the interior of 

 the large islands.^ In Oahu, one of the Sandwich Islands, during 

 1873, the rainfall at the coast was 37*85 inches ; whilst at a distance 

 of 2| miles in the interior, it was 134'06 inches, the elevation being 

 only 550 feet above the sea.^ 



I will now make a few remarks on the barometric pressure, 

 temperature, and other features of the meteorology of this group. 

 Thev are based on the results of the observations made bv Lieu- 

 tenant Leeper on board the ship, and by Mr. F. Howard at Ugi. 

 (Tables appended.) ^ 



1 Somcrvillc's " Tliysical fkofjrapliy," 7th edit. pp. 331-.334. 



2 Stone's "A Few Months in New Guinea," p. 143. 



' Rain-guagcrs have been numerous in this colony, and their list would extend beyond 

 the limits of a foot-note. (Vide Home's " Year in Fiji," &c., &c.) 

 * Mosely's " Naturalist on the ' Challenger,'" p. 4!)7. 



