CHAPTER n 



METEOROLOGICAL NOTES. 



About the Dutch Leeward Islands not much more is known than 



that a strong N. E. monsoon blows there and that the annual 



rainfall is usually very small. 



The influence of the winds is noticed in the outward appearance 



of the landscape ; the tops of the trees are always stretched in 



a N. E. — S. W. direction, unless they stand in protected places. 



This causes these often very poorly looking trees to have a pecu- 



lair appearance; the wind seems to be so strong that at the 



exposed side they have hardly any leaves. 



The temperature of the islands varies from 24 to 29° C. 



The annual amount of the rainfall remains far behind that of the 



three Dutch Windward Islands and very dry years have been 



observed. The following table gives the rainfall for Curagao, Aruba 



and Bonaire. 



