468 



REPORT — 1873. 



been examining lists of former hurricanes ; and it is interesting to find that 

 the evidence from this source strongly corroborates the conclusions deduced 

 from the observations of the last twenty-six years. From a " Chronological 

 Table" published in the Mauritius Almanac of 18G9, we obtain the following 

 list of Mauritius hurricanes : — 



Years. 



1731 

 1754 

 1760 

 1766 

 1771 

 1772 

 1773 

 1786 

 1806 

 1807 

 1815 



No. of 

 hurricanes. 

 .. 1 

 .. 1 

 .. 1 

 .. 1 

 .. 1 



1 

 1 

 1 

 1 



2 



1 



12 



Probably the above list gives only the hurricanes that were remarkable 

 from their destructive effects in the island ; and much stress should not be 

 laid on observations taken at a single station. Nevertheless it is rather 

 suggestive that out of the twenty-four hurricanes mentioned, seventeen fall 

 within, or very nearly within, maxima suu-spot periods, and only seven within 

 minima periods. Thus : — 



The same " Chronological Table " contains the following entries : — 



" 1760, December 1, Meteorological Phenomena." 

 " 1815, February 5, Meteorological Phenomena." 



I have not been able to ascertain what these phenomena were ; but it is not 

 improbable that they were auroral displays. The aurora of the 4th Feb- 

 ruary, 1872, was described in some of the local newspapers as " un phe~ 

 ■nnmene meteorologique ;" and we know that 1760 and 1816 were years of 

 maximum auroral frequency. If, then, it be ascertained that the " meteoro- 

 logical phenomena " observed at Mauritius in 1700 and 1815 were aurorte, 

 we shall have further evidence in favour of the theory of increased activity of 

 the magnetical and meteorological elements in the maxima sun-spot years. 



