iniiin :it N, and tlicn ag'aiii falls at NE. Tliu lower curve is a wind cuv\e drawn 

 liy taking mean iiuiulicrs o[' miles o( wiml during 1879 and ISSO f'nim earli 

 direction. Tlie general characters of the two curves are very similar, witli a 

 dilYerence at tlie SW. In Chart D, the np|ier curve is the same as in Chart C' 

 and the wind curve is drawn so as to show the mean number of high winds from 

 various direction, the mean of 1879 and 1880 being taken. Again the two curves 

 show a striking similarity witli the same difference as in Chart C. In all the 

 charts, it must be noticed, that when there is any ditTerence between the fire and 

 wind curves, it always occurs on the hot months, aud it is believed that a suffi- 

 cient explanaliiiii for this diflercnce has already been given. Now the tables aud 

 charts discussed above establish beyond di-'pute : 1st the season of great fires 

 begins in Novendier, and after attaining a maxinuun frequency on March, ends 

 on I^Iay. comprising a period of seven months, and 2nd the most fires move either 

 from the N, or NW, or from tlie S or SW; and 3rd these results are not mere 

 accidents, but are the necessary consequences of the local meteorology of Tokio. 



I will conclude by referring briefly to the causes of fires, and to the loss of 

 jiroperty which they occasion. The origin of fires may be traced to various causes 

 but among them are two which seem to roe of greater importance than others. 

 The fii-st is the use of kcrosine oil, one of new introduction. This being an 

 article but recently introduced the people are not accu.stomed to handle it, and 

 the result is such carelessness, th.at undoubtedly a great many fires originate in 

 this way. A number of determinations of the "flashing point" of samples of oil sold 

 in Tokio have been made in the I'hysical Laboratory of the University. In nearly 

 all, the temperature o\'ßashinf] -point was far lower than it ought to be. In some 

 sam])les, it was as low a.s 96° F., and in none of them, was it higher than 120° F., 

 the legal minimum in Great Britain, and in some States of the American Union. 

 For the so called "safety oil ", the temperature of the jlashiuy j'oiiit was 

 considerably higher; in fact, in all samples examii.ed, the temperature was above 

 120° F. It is evident that the attention of the authorities ought to be called to 

 this point and proper restrictions jilaccd ujion its sale. The second important cause 

 is incendiarism. There is nuicli difficulty in obtaining an accurate estimate of the 

 proportion of fires caused by incendiarism. The owner of the house, where a fire 

 has originated, always shows a reluctance to give a true account of its origin ; he 

 tries to attribute it to a criminal design, whenever he can. Light as is the fine 

 to an unwilling agent of others' losses, the moral effect on him is strong enough 

 to make him conceal an accident, that happened in his own house. Hence often 

 the police authority are unable tu discover the real cause and the fire is classeil in 

 the catalogue as of unknown origin. But even allowing for ibis, fires of Tud;nown 

 origin are so numerous as to lead us to suspect that a great many of them have 

 originated in a criminal design. The past season has been unsual iu the number 

 of incendiary fires, the rise of prices of necessaries doubtless having driven many 

 to commit this crime and the police authority have done their utmost in the way 

 of arresting criminals; ne.xt year will show, whether they have succeded or not. 



