176 METEOROLOGICAL PERIODICITY. 



He liad taken some trouble in examining the question. The 

 rainfall was north or south according to the strength of the 

 monsoon. This was ascertained by Mr. Todd, on the overland 

 telegraph, where he had special opportunities for observation. 

 We ought to avail ourselves -of the trans-continental electric 

 telegraph, to secure observations across the interior. He 

 believed the sun to be the great motive power in all the weather. 

 The moon also had an influence. He found by Admiral Pi tzroy's 

 work, that he was a powerful lunarist ; and did it not stand to 

 reason that these changes in cycles of nineteen years were con- 

 nected with the moon running through . all its course, as the 

 eclipse proved, in nineteen years. Could anything be more likely 

 than that the moon in going through all her grand changes would 

 affect the weather ? The moon affects the tide twice in every 

 lunation ; so it might affect the changes of the weather twice in 

 every nineteen years. And he believed there were cycles of 

 nine and a half years. Then the same weather occurred every 

 thirty-eight years, that is twice nineteen years, or four times 

 nine and a half years. 



As to the nebulosity of the meteoric rings which darkened the 

 sun, no doubt that also had some effect on the weather. There 

 was a correspondence between the weather in England and here. 

 He thought Dr. Smith's friend was not quite right about the 

 drought of 1838-9. He had seen the diary kept by Mr. Close 

 in those years, and it entirely corroborated the statement as to 

 the extraordinary drought. The labours of Mr. Russell might 

 ■ lead to most valuable results, especially' if they kept a record of 

 the rain at different places in the interior. It would then be 

 possible to prepare for a time of drought, and to mitigate its bad 

 consequences. At present he believed three-fourths of the cattle 

 in the interior had perished. And the drought was not over yet. 



Mr. E-ussELL, in answer to questions said, at every place on the 

 earth's surface they would probably find a period peculiar to the 

 place. There was some indication of a period of thirteen years 

 here. The facts he had collected on the subject occupied 250 

 to 300 pages of manuscript. There was no proof that the sun's 

 spots affected the weather. 



The Chairman said, forty-two j^ears ago he had collected in a 

 book before him, materials bearing on this, question, which con- 

 firmed Mr. Russell's view as to the causes of meteorological 

 changes being cosmical. They were also connected with opera- 

 tions in the interior of the earth. He (Mr. Clarke), had traced 

 changes of the weather as far back as 1101, and down to 1833. 



A vote of thanks was passed to Mr, Russell. 



Mr. RiJSSELL, in further illustration of the subject, said the 

 rainfall differed much at short distances. Sometimes there was 



