APPENDIX. 123 



necessity for melting the snow and ice collected in the guage ; but the results, if care- 

 fully obtained, would, for that very reason, be peculiarly interesting and useful, and 

 would fully repay the trouble of obtaining them. I have no doubt that the ingenuity of 

 members of the Institute would devise an apparatus for this purpose, suited to the 

 difficulties of the climate. 



Careful and regular readings of the barometer have a peculiar value and utility. 

 The time may not, perhaps, have yet arrived when a regular system of " forecasts," 

 such as was introduced by Admiral Fitz Koy, can be adopted in Nova Scotia. Bttt I 

 venture to point out how admirably Halifax is situated for such a purpose, as the state 

 of the Baronaeter could be known by telegraph from Newfoundland, Cape Breton 

 Island, Boston and New York, as well as from other points, and the direction and force 

 of air currents thus ascertained. If it be premature to attempt at present so extensive 

 an arrangement, I would suggest that in a port so much frequented as Halifax is, it 

 would be of great use to shipping to indicate daily, by a simple semaphore placed in a 

 conspicuous position, the height of the barometric column, and whether it be rising 

 or falling. 



I beg to subjoin a table giving the means of a number of observations of temperature 

 taken in the Naval Yard, Halifax, during the years 1863, '64, '6.5, '66. 



I am not disposed to place much value on these results as it is probable that the 

 instruments were faulty, nor can I be sure that the observations were taken with care, 

 but I lay them before the Institute, as I presume no other observations are in existence 

 for the same period. 



Edgbcuub Chktallibb. 



I 



