36 REPORT—1874. 
Ocean, which the author accounted for by supposing that the trade-wind component 
of the cyclone’s motion is then sufficiently strong to draw any cyclone that may be 
formed into the equatorial calm-belt during its period of slow proper motion on 
its first formation near the equator, where the degrees of longitude differ but little 
in length at different latitudes. Captain Fyers had observed this slow progress on 
the first formation of a storm, and the cyclone would in consequence be soon lost in 
the ascensive motion of the air within the equatorial calm-belt. 
On Disturbance of the Weather by Artificial Influences, especially Battles, 
Military Manewvres, great Explosions, and Conflagrations. By R. B. 
Bricuer. 
Many instances were quoted, from the siege of Valenciennes in 1793 to the 
Ashantee and Carlist wars this year, to show that storms follow immediately upon 
battles. The loss of the great battle of Solferino, which closed the Italian campaign 
of 1859, was attributed by the Austrian commander to a terrific thunder-storm 
which burst over the field and obscured movements of powerful masses of the 
enemy. The decisive battle of Sadowa, which closed the Austro-Prussian war in 
1866, was in like manner accompanied by a terrible storm, to which again the 
Austrian commander attributed his defeat. 
The sham-fights at and near Aldershot this year, viz. May 19, June 19, 20, 
July 8, 20, 21, 27, 29, were in each instance followed by thunder-storms, lasting 
several days, with fine weather in the intervals. 
The manceuvres at Dartmoor and Cannock, August 1873, brought such storm 
weather, that the former was broken up prematurely, and the latter carried on wi 
difficulty. Correspondents at Cannock Chase describe the artillery below as setting - 
in motion the artillery above and bringing down the rain in torrents. 
Instances of great explosions being immediately followed by thunder-storms were 
a notably one in the harbour of Bordeaux, September 1869, which was followed 
y a cyclone accompanied by an enormous wave which swept the shores of France 
and England; it was succeeded by a remarkable lightning-storm. 
Instances of large conflagrations which appeared to cause storms were given. 
On certain protracted Irregularities of Atmospheric Pressure in the Indian 
Monsoon Region, and their relation to Variations of the Local Rainfall. 
By Henry F. Buayrorp, F.G.S. 
After briefly noticing the distribution of atmospheric pressure which in Northern 
India normally accompanies the two monsoons, and which has been described at 
length elsewhere, the author draws attention to a fact disclosed by a discussion of 
the barometric registers for the last seven years, viz. that the abnormal peculiarities 
of relative pressure distribution which may appear in any season, tend to last for many 
months, and in some cases apparently throughout several alternations of the mon- 
soons. Inthe year 1868 aremarkable and unusually intense barometric depression in 
the N.W. corner of the bay of Bengal characterized the whole of the S.W. monsoon, 
while in Lower Bengal the pressure was for the most part above the average. In 
1871 a similar but less intense barometric depression existed in the east of the bay, 
and another in Orissa; also in Central India, north of the Satpoora range, the 
pone was unusually below that of the Gangetic plain on the north and that of 
Nagpore on the south of the range. In 1872 the last depression had disappeared, 
and that of Orissa and that in the east of the bay were united into one, the depres- 
sion being greatest in that part of the bay off the coast of Orissa. In 1873 this 
last depression continued, while another existed in the neighbourhood of the Nicobar 
Islands, and a third in the province of Oudh, which was very intense during the 
S.W. monsoon. The author concluded, from the facts adduced, “that amid the 
never-ceasing changes of condition and place to which every part of the atmosphere 
is subject, certain states tend to perpetuate or reproduce themselves in the same 
region, in such manner as to maintain a constant difference in the mean or average 
