96 KEPORT — 1875. 



of 800 of which elaborate returns were received. Although these returns 

 would never remove the necessity for personal inspection, which all expe- 

 rience, both British and foreign, shows to be essential, yet they are ex- 

 tremely valuable as showing the districts in which that inspection is 

 most needed. The monthly percentage of total annual fall during the 

 decade 18G0-69, as based upon more than thirty-eight thousand monthly 

 amounts, is then thoroughly discussed, and the inquiry is supplemented 

 by an analysis of several long registers, viz. seventeen registers which indi- 

 vidually extend over 40 years, four which extend over 50 years, and one 

 which exceeds 60 years. Lastlj^ the Eeport gives the details of the inspec- 

 tion of 63 stations. 



The 1874 (and last) Report opens with some remarks upon the comple- 

 tion of the abstracts of the position returns and the difficulty respecting their 

 publication, which arises from their very voluminous nature ; it then proceeds 

 to the subject of the examination of gauges in situ, and dwells with satisfac- 

 tion on the number inspected. The progress of the list of stations, which has 

 been upwards of five years in hand, is stated ; reference is made to the 

 paiicity of stations in Ireland ; and then details are given of the inspection by 

 our Secretary of the East-Cumberland mountain gauges, which were pre- 

 sented to this Committee in 1869, and have since been kept in operation at 

 their expense. After mentioning a few minor matters, the Eeport proceeds 

 to discuss fully the exceptional rainfall of 1872 and its many unprecedented 

 features. The usual biannual tables for 1872-73 are then given, and the 

 Report ends with the results of the examination in situ of 77 gauges. 



The foregoing outline of the contents of our Reports will give an idea of 

 the very important work which has been accomplished under the supervision 

 of }'our Committee ; but no one could fully realize its amount without going 

 carefully through the various branches of work and considering what eacli 

 implies. We may be permitted to give one illustration. The last line of 

 the above narrative states that '•' the Report ends with the results of the ex- 

 amination in situ of 77 gauges.'' Now these stations range from Cumber- 

 laud to Southampton, from Kent to Devon ; they are scattered over thirteen 

 counties ; they include such difficultly accessible places as "VValshaw Dean, 

 Halifax, Dartmoor Prison, and Mardale Green, Haweswater, and have in- 

 volved at least 1500 miles of travel in order to inspect them. 



We proceed to report what occurred at Belfast in 1874 and the work 

 resulting therefrom. With reference to the engineering paper on the drain- 

 age of the Shannon &c., considerable attention was drawn to the small 

 number of raiu stations in Ireland, which deficiency we had mentioned in 

 our Report. Eventually, on our reappointment at Belfast, we were instructed 

 to obtain additional stations in Ireland, and a special grant was entrusted to 

 us for the purpose. 



Without entering into details respecting the steps which wo took to obtain 

 additional stations, it will be sufficient to mention that they were so success- 

 ful that we received 190 offers of assistance. The acceptance of all these 

 offers would have involved an expenditure far beyond the funds at our dis- 

 posal ; and your Committee were therefore reluctantly compelled to make a 

 careful selection, resulting, however, in the establishment of 66 stations, many 

 of them in localities of extreme importance. 



