D:c. 9, 1 886] 



ATA TURE 



139 



ii>gical reUuns are received from ahjut fifty land stations in the 

 Far East, and tfie examination of the log-books of ships calling 

 at this port, as well as observations received from commanders 

 of men-of-war and masters of vessels trading in these seas, 

 furnish a perhaps imequalled amount of material for scientific 

 discussion, the results of which, as far as they go, are from time 

 to time published in the Goviritmctit Gametic. But no funds are 

 available for this work, the Observatory being supposed to make 

 and investigate only local observations, and with reference to 

 weather-intelligence to warn the colony of storms by which it 

 may be threatened, as far as may be possible through local 

 observations. Some distinguished individuals having the welfare 

 of the colony at heart would gladly see the little Observatory 

 extended into a Meteorological Office for the Far East, for which 

 it would be so peculiarly adapted owing to its central position, 

 extensive telegraphic connections, &c. ; but where the money is 

 to come from has not yet been suggested. The Meteorological 

 <)ffice in London is allowed over ninety thousand dollars a year. 

 'i"he area in question is considerably larger than the area covered 

 by the United Kingdom. The annual cost of the local Obser- 

 vatory was e-timated to begin at ten thousand dollars, and it was 

 remarked that additional cleiical help would certainly be needed 

 if it were resolved to undertake a thorough investigation of the 

 monsoons of the China Sea. But actually only about six thousand 

 dollars a year are expended in connection with the Hong Kong 

 Obseivatory. 



The Colony itself is warned by means of the typhoon gun, 

 placed at the foot of the mast for hoisting signals beside the 

 time-ball tower. It is fired one round whenever a strong gale of 

 wind is expected here, and two rounds whenever the wind is 

 expected to blow with typhoon force. It will be fired again, if 

 possible, when the wind is likely to suddenly shift round. In 

 18S5 it was fired also as a mail gun, but this practice h.as been 

 discontinued, and as long as the typhoon gun is not fired in future, 

 one may be sure that no typhoon is expected here. During the 

 approach of a typhoon, and at other times when it appears 

 <lesirable, special messages are telegraphed from the Observatory 

 to be distributed in Hong Kong in such manner as the Govern- 

 ment may from time to time see fit to direct, but as so5n as they 

 are issued from here the writer's responsibility in the matter 

 ceases. This arrangement will, however, be found to be of very 

 little use until the Observatory is placed in direct cimmunication 

 with the telegraph offices in Hong Kong, as the connections be- 

 tween the police stations generally break down in bad weather, 

 when there is no boat-communication with the other side of the 

 harbour, and thus the colony may expect that communication 

 with the Observatory will sometimes be interrupted just at such 

 times when the intelligence issued from here would be particu- 

 larly useful. As soon as direct communication with the telegraph 

 offices is established, the daily returns from the Treaty ports will 

 be telegraphed across the harbour, and the China Coast Meteoro- 

 logical Register can then be issued at an early hour, by which its 

 utility will be very much increased. 



In the course of the summer of 1S84 the writer invented and 

 started a system of meteorological signals, wdiich continue to be 

 hoisted on the mast beside the time-ball toner at Tsim-sha-tsui. 

 As these signals could not be hoisted without friendly co-opera- 

 tion with the official- of foreign Governments, they are, of 

 course, unofficial, using this word in the sense in which it is 

 understood by scientific men. The utility of these signals is 

 confined to the shipping .and to those interested in ships about to 

 leave the harbour, or out in the China Sea. The col my its 1/ is 

 warned by means of the typhoon gun. 



A re.l drum is hoisted to indicated the existence of a typhoon 

 felt in the China Sea in a longitude more easterly than the colony. 

 Steamers, if bound for northern, western, or southern ports, should 

 lose no time in starting, and m.iy then expect more or less fine 

 weather. Those bound for the Philippines should take precau- 

 tions to avoid the typhoon, and observe the rules set forth in the 

 first section of this article. Sailing-vessels bound for western 

 or southern ports should l-se no time in starling, but those that 

 are bound for northern or eastern ports ought to remain in the 

 harbour awaiting further information, as they may expect to fall 

 in with calms or contrary breezes after starting, even shoidd the 

 wind be westerly here at the time. The day after the drum has 

 lieen hoisted the China Coast Meteorological Rrgistcr should be 

 cmsulted, taking into account that typhoons east and south east 

 of Hong Kong generally travel at the rate of from six to fourteen 

 miles an hour. 



A red cone pointing ujtvards indicates that a typhoon exists in 



a latitude more northern than the colony, or that it is progressing 

 towards the north. More or less persistent south-west winds, at 

 times accompanied by thunderstorms, may then be expected, and 

 ships leaving the harbour are not at all likely to run any risk 

 from the typhoon. Sailing-vessels bound for the north should 

 start as soon as convenient, so as to benefit by the favourable 

 breeze to run through the Formosa Channel and avoid the way 

 round Formosa. By following the latter route a sailing-vessel, 

 moreover, rims the risk of encountering the next typhoon 

 east of Formosa, particularly during the months of August and 

 September. 



A red cone pointing dowmvarJs indicates that a typhoon exists 

 in a latitude more southern than the colony, or that it is pro- 

 gressing towards the south. As such a typhoon is likely to travel 

 in a northerly direction, ships desirous of avoiding bad weather 

 should await further in'itructions, or remain in port till the 

 barometer begins to rise. Then the danger is past. 



A red iiall indicaXes that the typhoon exists in a longitude more 

 westerly than the colony. .Ships starting for northern, eastern, 

 or southern ports may expect breezes from east round by south to 

 south-west. Those starting for western ports run no risk as long 

 as the barometer is rising. If it should happen to fall, they may 

 heave-to, and subsequently, if necessary, take refuge in some 

 typhoon anchorage, such as St. John's harbour, but this will 

 rarely occur. If a vessel in the Formosa Channel experiences an 

 increasing south-westerly gale and a falling barometer, the typhoon 

 has very likely recurved. All you have to do in that case is to lie- 

 to, when the weather will quickly improve, and you may expect a 

 plea-ant voyage. 



V. As the typhoons during their entire course are nearly always 

 moving northwards, or rather into a higher latitude, a ship situated 

 in the southern semicircle is on the whole in a safer position than 

 north of the centre. East of Luzon typhoons move west-north- 

 westward, or thereabout, and a ship must shape its course so as 

 to reach the quadrant south-east of the centre. As a general rule, 

 they move north-westward in that part of tlie China Sea between 

 Hong Kong, Luzon, and Formosa, and east of the latter island 

 they generally travel in some direction between north-west and 

 north. So your vessel is safe-t when south of thi centre, where 

 you must heave-to till the weather improves, particularly if bound 

 for one of the northern ports. If bound for the south, you may 

 run across the path in front of the centre with the north-westerly 

 breeze, but if you are not in time you may lose your boats and 

 sustain other d.amage. 



About 30° latitude, belv/een China and Japan, you are liable to 

 fall in with a typhoon travelling in any direction between west- 

 north-west, north, and east-north-east. Here you are as a rule 

 safest when south of the centre, but if the typhoon is travelling 

 north-eastward this is in the dangerous semicircle. However, 

 the investigations of the writer, though he has paid le-s attention 

 to typhoons near Japan than elsewhere, nevertheless indicate 

 with some degree of probability that the wind is less incurving 

 behind the centre in that locality than elsewhere. North of this 

 latitude you would of course prefer to be west of the centre. 



Suppose that after leaving Singapore bound for Hong Kong the 

 south-west monsoon begins to blow fresher and the barometer to 

 fall, and you suspect that a typhoon is naging in a latitude more 

 northern than where you are at present (the phenomena men- 

 tioned would not necessarily indicate the existence of a typhoon, 

 if they were not accompanied with some of the other signs 

 enumerated in the first section of this article), you will, of 

 course, set your course to th^ east in order to sail round the 

 typhoon and benefit by the south-easterly backing to east winds 

 which you may expect to fall in with ; but if the season is late 

 in the year, you had better assure yourself that the typhoon is 

 not travelling south-westward, in which case you might possibly 

 be overtaken by the centre. These typhoons are often the cause 

 of high seas even in the Gulf of Siam ; but as their progressive 

 motion is usually rather slow, you may heave-to in order to make 

 observations without losing ground perceptibly. Supposing a 

 typhoon in the China Sea does not make itself felt till you have 

 reached a higher latitude, and that it is passing westward in a 

 latitude south of your ship ; being in the dangerous semicircle, 

 where the wind is, moreover, stronger than south of the centre, 

 you may have to cross the path in front of the centre to arrive in 

 the anterior left-h.and quadrant ; or, if the typhoon is yet distant, 

 the wind light, and your ship thoroughly sea-worthy and in good 

 trim, you may possibly put her on the port tack and run north- 

 eastward, but be ready to change the tack as soon as it becomes 

 advisable. 



