410 REPORT— 1897. 



of instruments previously forwarded by the Committee to Nyasaland have 

 been made over to her Majesty's Commissioner, subject to the condition 

 that the observers to whom they have been granted shall be permitted 

 to retain these instruments as long as they are willing to make good use 

 of them, and send the results to the Committee. 



All the above instruments were inspected by our Secretary before they 

 were forwarded, and the usual Kew certificates have been obtained. 



For this Foreign Office grant we are indebted to the interest taken in 

 scientific work by the Right Hon. G. Curzon, and to the advocacy of the 

 late Commissioner, Sir Harry Johnston. 



Observations have been received from eighteen stations in Tropical 

 Africa. 



Nyasaland. — The supply of instruments recently forwarded will make 

 it possible to equip a series of meteorological stations extending from 

 Chinde, on the coast, to the southern end of Tanganyika. Mr. Alfred 

 Sharpe, her Majesty's Acting Commissioner, and Mr. J. McClounie, the 

 head of the scientific department of the Protectorate, take much interest 

 in the work, and have promised to promote the objects of your Committee 

 to the best of their power. 



In the present report we are able to publish abstracts of two years' 

 observations made by our old and valued correspondent, Mr. J. M. Moir, 

 at Lauderdale. Mr. Moir is, after a holiday at home, about to return to 

 Nyasaland ; but his work has been continued during his absence by Mr. 

 Thomson. We are also enabled, through the courtesy of Mr. A. Sharpe, 

 to publish rainfall observations for ten stations. Earlier unpublished 

 observations for Livingstonia have been added from the note-book of the 

 late Mr. Stewart. 



British East Africa. — The usual reports have only been received up to 

 June last, and we therefore defer their publication until the reports for a 

 full year shall have come to hand. 



The Scottish missionaries at Kibwezi, to whom your Committee 

 granted a set of instruments last year, have regularly sent in their 

 registers since July last. They have been kept with much care, and 

 include hourly observations for sixteen term- days, the first of the kind 

 received from this protectorate. 



A return of one year's rainfall at Mumia's, in Kavirondo, has been 

 received from Mr. C. W. Hobley, who also forwards a few observations 

 made with a Symons's earth-thermometer. 



Uganda. — Through the kindness of the Foreign Office, we hope to be 

 enabled to publish in our next report full meteorological records for a 

 number of stations. In the meantime we present abstracts of fourteen 

 months' observations on the variations in the level of the Victoria 

 Nyanza, which have been made at three stations since January 1896. 



Western Africa. — No observations whatever have been received from 

 Bolobo, on the Congo, and Lambarene, on the Ogowai. From Warri 

 (Benin) only one month's record has come to hand. 



We have learnt with regret that the Rev. Bonzon, at Lambarene, is 

 dead, and have taken steps to obtain his meteorological registers, and to 

 recover the instruments which were lent him. 



The abstracts published have been made by the Chairman of the 

 Committee. 



Your Committee have expended their grant. They propose that they 

 be reappointed, and that a grant be made of 10^. 



