for the year 1882. xxi 



after setting up their transit instruments and obtaining 

 correct local time, will commence exchanging a series of 

 time signals between the two places, and thus determine 

 the difference of longitude. The longitude of Singapore 

 having already been determined telegraphically, that of 

 Port Darwin will be found, and hence the longitude of 

 Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, &c. A similar 

 series of observations will be made in New Zealand by 

 either the English or American party through the cable to 

 Sydney. We shall, therefore, have the longitudes of all 

 these places from Greenwich ascertained by the most correct 

 and precise method available. The observer for Port 

 Darwin is now training for the work at our Observatory. 



Our chain of intercolonial meteorology is now almost com- 

 plete. Western Australia, Tasmania, and Queensland have 

 practically joined in the work, and our daily weather tele- 

 grams now cover the coast line of Australia from Geraldtown, 

 north of Perth, in Western Australia, to nearly Cape York ; 

 a line across Australia, from Adelaide to Port Darwin ; the 

 north and south parts of Tasmania; and New Zealand 

 generally. The consequence is we are slowly and gradually 

 increasing our knowledge of Australian meteorology, and of 

 the laws which govern the movement of storms along our 

 coast lines, and the distribution of rainfall over the various 

 climatic regions of the continent. 



The last few years have forcibly demonstrated the import- 

 ance of this latter meteorological factor to Australia, and 

 more especially to the southern and central regions. A 

 better knowledge of the laws of deposition of rain, should 

 such exist, would be of incalculable value, as it would show 

 more or less precisely our "assets and liabilities" in moisture. 

 No amount of knowledge will alter the rainfall, but it will 

 show ns how far we have to "save up," how much of the 

 water that does fall and now runs into the sea or soaks in 

 the ground must be saved to meet urgent wants. Whether 

 our natural supply will be found sufficient for the purposes 

 of irrigation except to a very limited extent in certain dis- 



