244 Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 



stations, viz., wet periods near the coast correspond to dry periods 

 inland, and vice versa. This, too, is often noticeable in Australian 

 droughts. 



A second interesting point to note in these cyclical diagrams is 

 how far the rainfall predicted in 1888, when they were drawn up> 

 has corresponded with the predictions then made. In 1888 I drew 

 these cyclical diagrams, fitting them into the three Cape weather 

 cycles, and contending that the cycles were not going to change 

 because we had mapped them, that they would proceed in the future 

 as they had in the past, and thus afford us a fair indication of the 

 probable character of the rainfall of each season. How far these 

 predictions have been fulfilled you now see. The red marks on 

 these diagrams show where there has been irregularity or un- 

 punctuality. I shall now offer a few remarks regarding each 

 rainfall period that has occurred since 1888, taking them in the 

 order of their occurrence. 



FOEECAST AND RESULT. 



Meldrum's Cycle 'Rainfall in 1892. 



This in my 1888 work was noted as mainly an eastern cycle. 

 The first three maxima on the Eoyal Observatory diagram all agreed 

 in bringing only a small rainfall ; the fourth maximum brought no 

 rainfall, but the first maximum after 1888 brought the heavy rainfall 

 of 1892. Here, then, we had, as it were, a cycle improving on its 

 forecast ! 



In the east of Cape Colony and Natal the 1892 Meldrum cycle 

 rains ran over three years, some stations having the heaviest rainfall 

 in 1891, and others in 1893. These differences are partly due to the 

 records being kept in calendar instead of seasonal years. The Natal 

 inland districts (Maritzburg) had good rains on all three years ; most 

 of the Cape eastern stations had a break of the rains in 1892 (note 

 particularly Evelyn Valley). Durban had the highest rains on its 

 records in 1893, and Umtata and Queenstown the highest rains in 

 their records in 1891. I will ask you to carefully note on the 

 Durban cyclical diagram the phenomenal rains of 1893. In that 

 year Durban had 71 inches of rain, against an average of 41. This, 

 then, was Meldrum's cycle at its last appearance. It showed itself 

 unmistakably right through the coastal districts from the Cape 

 Peninsula to Maritzburg, and it showed itself as strong in the west 

 as it had done previously in the east of Cape Colony. The inland 

 districts of Cape Colony showed its influence faintly and irregularly, 

 as is usually the case with their irregular rainfalls. The northern 



