WEATHER DURING WESTERLY MONSOON. 53 



Fly's work with oursj and thus complete the coast 

 line of the whole of the south-east part of New 

 Guinea. 



We remained at this anchorage for upwards of a 

 week, during which a rate for the chronometers was 

 obtained, and the Bramble returned. The weather 

 during- our stay was very variable and unsettled ; 

 rain fell on several occasions. The wind was 

 usually from the westward, varying- between N.W. 

 and S.W., and on one occasion during- the night we 

 had a sudden and very violent squall from the 

 westward, which for a time was thought to be the 

 beginning of a hurricane, but the gale moderated 

 very gradually next day. When the wind during 

 the day was light and from seaward, a land breeze 

 generally came off at night, occasionally with rain. 

 The cause of this last seems to be the iafluence ex- 

 erted upon the winds here by Mount Owen Stanley 

 and the ranges connected with it, from which the 

 clouds accumulated during the prevalence of the sea 

 breeze, are reflected after its subsidence. The low 

 and well wooded district between the mountains and 

 the sea receives the passing influence of these 

 clouds surcharged with moisture, and the climate 

 there and in all the low maritime districts of the 

 south-east part of New Guinea backed by high 

 land, is probably always a moist one, little affected 

 by the prevalence of either the N.W. or S.E. 

 monsoon. The observations made during- our last 

 visit to determine the height of Mount Owen 



