FEEJEE GROUP. 339 



journal kept on board the Peacock, on the west side of Vitilevu, 

 with that kept at Levuka, I find that at the same hours they stand 

 within two degrees of each other. 



The appearance of the vegetation shows this difference of climate 

 more strongly than the thermometer ; for on the lee side, the islands 

 have a barren and burnt appearance, while the weather sides exhibit 

 a luxuriant tropical vegetation. 



Our stay in this group was not long enough to enable us to speak 

 of the vicissitudes of the seasons, yet we had time to observe a great 

 change in the plants whose flowers succeeded each other. It is by 

 these that the natives are guided in their agricultural occupations. 

 Thus, the scarlet flowers of the Erythrina indica, mark the season of 

 planting, and, according to some of the white residents, the natives 

 encourage the growth of this plant near the towns, for the purpose of 

 pointing out the proper time for this important operation in agri- 

 culture. 



The mean temperature at Ovolau, during the six weeks that 

 the observatory was established there, was 77-81°. The barometer 

 stood at 30-126 in. The lowest temperature was 62°; the highest 

 96°. The first occurred at 4 a. m. on the 23d, the last at 2 p. m. on 

 the 25th June. 



The only bad weather that was experienced in the Feejee Group, 

 was from the 7th to the 11th July, during which time the wind blew 

 constantly from the southeast, and was attended with a light rain. 



The winds, from April to November, prevail from the east-north- 

 east to southeast quarter, at times blowing a fresh trade-wind. From 

 November to April northerly winds are often experienced, and in the 

 months of February and March heavy gales are frequent. They 

 usually begin at the northeast, and pass around to the north and 

 northwest, from which quarters they blow with most violence ; then 

 hauling to the westward, they moderate. They generally last two 

 or three days. A very heavy gale was experienced from the 22d of 

 February to the 25th, which may have been the same that was 

 felt by us at New Zealand, on the 1st of March. If they were con- 

 nected, it would make the vortex upwards of six hundred miles in 

 diameter. The only data I was enabled to get, at all to be depended 

 upon, was from Captain Egleston, who was lying in his ship under 

 Toba Peak, on the north shore of Vitilevu. The gale began from the 

 northeast, with heavy rain, on the morning of the 22d. During the 

 night, and morning of the 23d, it was more to the north, increasing 



