THE CLIMATE OF WEST COENWALL. 45 



Rainfall. The rainfall of West Cornwall is considerable. 

 The records for the years 1871 to 1887 give for Truro 42 inches, 

 Helston 42 inches, and Falmouth 50 inches, or a mean of 44^ 

 inches. Taking the 21 years, 1872 to 1892; during which period 

 continuous records have been made at Falmouth, we get an 

 annual mean of 48 inches. The accompanying diagram (IV) 

 shows how very varied in amount the rainfall has been, extending 

 from a maximum of 64 inches in 1872, to a maximum of 29|- 

 inches in 1887, the year of Her Majesty's Jubilee, when, it will 

 be remembered the month of June was almost rainless, and 

 every month of the year, except September, gave a record 

 considerably below the average. 



Although the rainfall of West Cornwall appears to compare 

 unfavourably with that of the Eastern and South Eastern 

 Counties — London giving a record of about 26 inches as against 

 our 44 inches — yet, generally speaking, little inconvenience is 

 felt by us at the presence of so much rain, as owing to the 

 nature of the Cornish soil and its many hills, the water either 

 quickly percolates through the earth or runs ojff and leaves our 

 highways and paths dry and pleasant ; the sun soon shines out 

 again after rain, and the atmosphere cleansed by the rain and 

 brightened by sunshine becomes remarkably pure and transparent 

 and full of health-giving properties. 



If we take into calculation the returns for Newquay, 

 Penzance, and St. Austell, from values published by Mr. Gr. J. 

 Symons, F.R.S., in his "British Rainfall," and for Phillack on 

 the authority of the Rev. Canon Hockin, we get with the stations 

 already mentioned, a mean annual rainfall for West Cornwall of 

 43|- inches, which is 12 inches less than that for East Cornwall. 



Bright Sunshine. (Diagram Y.) The amount of sunshine 

 which a district enjoys is a matter of great importance, as it 

 has considerable effect upon the health and general tone of the 

 inhabitants. 



In respect to sunshine, Cornwall is highly favoured, as 

 shown by a very interesting record of Ten Years' Bright 

 Sunshine for 46 Stations in the British Isles, 1881 to 1890.* 

 The instrument used at all these stations, save two, is the 



* Published by the Authority of the Meteorological Council, London. 



