HOUTMAN ABKOLHOS ISLANDS. 139 



season (winter months July-September) there may be enough rain water, but 

 rain which has fallen heavily whilst I have been on the islands has speedily 

 disappeared. One or two wells occur on the larger islands — East and West 

 Wallaby Isles, Rat Island and Pelsart Island, but the water is poor and 

 brackish and often contains too much decaying organic matter to be pleasant. 



Meteorological and Hydkographical Conditions. 



Records of sea temperatures are very badly wanted on the coast of 

 Western Australia and up to date but little is known. It would seem 

 strange that the Meteorological Department, although so desirous of fore- 

 casting weather, has not arranged long ago to take sea temperatures at their 

 coastal stations, especially where these are only a few yards from the sea. 

 What data I have included here has been obtained from a few records made 

 on our expedition and from the work of Mr. J. J. East of Perth. This 

 gentleman collected the sea temperatures recorded by the engine-room staffs 

 on mail and coastal steamers in Australian waters. The temperatures apply 

 to the sea water as pumped into the condensers. Unfortunately this source 

 of our knowledge only covers a period of a few months and goes but little 

 way to fill up a big gap. The results so far are quite interesting. 



From the appended table it will be seen that the coast of Western 

 Australia is washed by water the temperature of which ranges from about 

 15-6° 0.-19-4° 0., on the south, to 23'3° 0.-30-5° on the north-west. The 

 seasonal change at most places is not very great, and the highest sea tem- 

 peratures are recorded in February and March, the lowest in August and 

 September. 



Sea Temperatures (°C.) * 



observed in the offing along the West Coast of Australia (chiefly based on 

 the engine-room log of S.S. 'Paroo' during the years 1908-12, voyaging 

 between Fremantleand Singapore, and various coasting steamers, 1912). 





Jan. 



Feb. 



Mar. 



Apl. 



May 



June 



July 



Aug. 



Sept. 



Oct. 



Nov. 



Dec. 









30-0 



28-9 



27 -8 



25-9 



25-6 



25-9 



25'6 







30-0 





30-7 



30-0 



30-0 



29-8 



27-7 



24-7 



24-8 



24-4 



23-3 



24-4 



28-3 



29-4 



Hedland 



29-4 



30-0 



29-7 



27-8 



26-7 



24-G 



22 -5 



22-7 



22-7 



25-3 



27-2 



28-6 



Cossack 



28-3 



29-6 



27-8 



28-9 



27-2 



22-5 



22-7 



21-4 



22-7 



24-6 



26-1 



27 -2 



Onslow 



26-8 



28-4 



282 



28-6 



26-7 



22-4 



22-9 



21-8 



23-3 



24-4 



23-8 



27-8 



Carnarvon .... 



24-4 



25-6 



25-9 



25-2 



24-9 



22-5 



22-2 



20-8 



20-6 



21-7 



21-7 



23-3 



Geraldton .... 



22-26 



236 



23-7 



23-3 



21-8 



21-4 



204 



19-7 



19-5 



19-5 



20-4 



22-7 



Fremantle .... 



22-2 



227 



23-3 



22-5 



20-3 



20-8 



18-9 



17-1 



17-8 



19-5 



20-0 



219 



(10-30 miles N. 



of port) 



































19-0 



17-8 



16-0 











Note. — Except in the case of Fremantle, the figures are the mean of the observations 

 taken during the watch (10-40 miles run) after leaving, or when approaching, 

 the port named. — Our own temperature observations taken with certificated 

 thermometers indicate that the winter sea temperature at Geraldton is lower 

 than that given in the above table, and the above figures must be taken there- 

 fore as only approximate. [W. J. 1).] 



* I am indebted to Mr. J. J. East of Perth for the compilation of this table. 



