REPORT OF THE COUNCIL. lxxxix 
offices of the world have hitherto been regarded as being primarily concerned. 
The British Meteorological Office does indeed concern itself with the meteoro- 
logy of the oceans from the point of view of shipping. In effect, the proposal 
is to utilise further the information already obtained at sea in conjunction 
with land observations for the investigation of the meteorology of large ocean 
areas in relation to that of the adjacent land areas, and from the point of view 
of the land population. 
It is known, for example, that the meteorological conditions of India, 
Australia, South Africa, East Africa, and Egypt stand in close relation to those 
of the Indian Ocean, and the study of these relations promises very important 
results in connection with the prediction of the seasons, ‘his investigation 
requires that the information shall be treated in a manner different from 
that now followed for the more immediate purpose of its application to the 
interests of shipping. 
The meteorological phenomena which are regarded as demanding careful 
study, in the first instance, are the following :— 
The conditions of favourable and unfavourable seasons in India. 
The droughts of Australia and South Africa. 
he conditions of favourable and unfavourable Nile floods. 
With those would be associated the relation of the weather of the Mediter- 
ranean to the Indian cold weather anomalies, and the relation of the South 
Indian anticyclone to the Antarctic ice. 
The larger part of the necessary land data for the investigation of these 
particular questions can probably be found in the publications of the meteoro- 
logical organisations of India, Australia, South and Kast Africa, Egypt, 
Mauritius, Hong Kong, Singapore, or can be furnished directly by those 
organisations. They should be supplemented by observations contributed by 
certain foreign Governments. The marire data would have to be compiled 
from the documents collected from ships by the meteorological departments 
of this country and India. The further development of the collection of obser- 
vations—more especially of marine data—might be necessary, in order to 
complete the investigation. 
The use of the data would be, in the first instance, to obtain a survey 
of the sequence of the more general weather changes over the whole region 
under consideration. The first step in the operations therefore would be to 
consider the nature and extent of the data available for the purposes in view, 
and the form in which they should be compiled for study or for publication. 
A corresponding inquiry for the Atlantic Ocean and the countries border- 
ing upon it is equally desirable, and should be conducted concurrently in the 
interests of the British Isles and the American and West Indian Colonies. 
In order to carry out the proposal, something more than what would be 
generally understood by ‘a moderate addition to the staff of the Meteoro- 
logical Office’ is required. ‘The proposal involves a scientific investigation 
of a very important character which could not be regarded as merely an 
incidental addition to the usual operations of the Office. A wan of suitable 
scientific attainments should be responsible for conducting it in consultation 
with, and under the general supervision of, the Director of the Meteorological 
Office. It is desirable to mark the nature of the qualifications expected in 
the person to whom the work is entrusted by giving him the title of Assistant 
Director and providing a salary of from 400/. to 6001. a year. It should be 
remembered also that the Meteorological Office could not find accommodation 
for the proposed additional staff without some addition to the space at present 
available. 
It is estimated that the annual cost of the work would be 2,000/., rising in 
five years to 2,500. made up as follows :— 
SALARTES: Assistant Director . : . : : . £450 to £550 
Scientific assistant, computers and clerical staff 1,050 to 1,300 
PUBLICATIONS, printing and stationery eee: oes, eed tr 60D 
INCIDENTAL EXPENSES, office rent,kc. . « « + 200to 150 
The estimate is based on the supposition that the Meteorolegical 
