Climate of West Indies. 161 
well-defined dry season beginning in December and including the months of 
January, February, March and part of April, a period during which the sun 
is returning northward from his southern journey to the Tropic of Capricorn, 
and the locus of heavy rainfall has been transferred southward from the Isthmus. 
This comparative exemption from rain is characteristic of the interior and of 
the Pacific coast, but somewhat less so of the region bordering the Caribbean Sea. 
Rainfall in inches, consolidated to February 1903"). 
Atlantic Coast. Pacific Coast. Means. 
Month. Colon Bohio Panama Naos Tobago | La Boca | Atlantic | Pacific 
Ka (32). (6). (4). viR (3). (4). (38). (18). 
Jamary ... 3.89 9.34 0.70 0.50 0.17 1.97 6.62 0.83 
February . . 1.44 1.50 0.93. 0.08 0.00 0.03 1.47 0.21 
March 1.58 2.29 1.56 0.35 0.00 1.55 1.94 0.86 
Sn KR 4.32 4:94 2.84 1.71 0.81 3.72 4.63 2.27 
May 12.04 13.90 7.58 4-77 6.34 9.81 12,97 7.12 
joe... ., 13.50 13:31 7.86 5.49 8.16 8.23 13.40 7:44 
I. ...; 16.70 18.13 7.58 4.29 6.15 10.17 17.42 7.05 
Angast 15.13 20.50 6.81 4.78 Ar 5.39 17.82 6.03 
September 12.68 16.73 7.48 7.42 7:33 7.31 14.70 7.38 
October 14.15 20.44 9.49 6.64 7.38 11.12 17.30 8.64 
November. . 20.69 20.15 11.57 6.26 4.05 10.43 20.42 8.08 
December. . 12.14 9.25 2.75 3.21 | 6.56 4.78 10.70 4-33 
Mi... | 12826 | 18048 | 6678 | as.50 | 'saor | 7ebr 1 23969 | 604 
During seven months, from October, 1898, to May, 1899, the United States 
Weather Bureau made continuous observations upon the velocity of wind at 
Colon®). These velocity observations constitute the only direct measurements 
ever reported on the Isthmus. They show during the whole period a great 
uniformity from day to day, from month to month, the wind increasing gently 
rom about six miles per hour at midnight at two or 
afternoon, and then subsiding gradually. The strongest win 
Cari bean Sea, usually attaining a velocity of about 20 mi 
N One occasion a velocity of 24 miles. 
three o’clock in the 
ds came from the 
les per hour, and 
5. West Indies. 
‚ The islands of the West Indies with the exception of part of the Bahamas 
lie between the isotherms of 77° F. (25° C.) and 8 2° F. (27.8°C.). The extreme 
heat is greatly tempered by the sea breezes, and by long, cool, refreshing 
Nights, while in the higher mountainous parts of several of the islands (15,500 
„Ware miles (40,145 qkm) lie at an elevation of more than 1500 feet above 
the sa level), a marked degree of coolness may generally be found. The short 
wet Season, or spring, begins in April and lasts from two to SIX weeks, and 
ee I 
1 ® 
r Abort, General Henry L.: loc. cit. p. 122. 
2 ABBOTT, General Henry L.: loc. eit. p. 123- 
Menbätger, Survey N.-America. 
