INDIAN METEOROLOGY. 309 



be well, under the circumstances, to devote the cost to maintaining 

 fresh observatories in Burma. At the Seychelles, another distant 

 and isolated station, arrangements were made for joining with the 

 Director of the Mauritius Meteorological Service, and so obtaining 

 improved observations. A set of instruments were supplied in 

 March 1888 to Dr. Woolbert, Medical Officer attached to the military 

 officers on special duty on the Perso-Afghan frontier, in order that 

 a series of observations might be taken at Mashhad, on the Perso- 

 Afghan frontier. These have been received from September 1889, 

 and are of very considerable interest. Mr. Eliot has also taken 

 steps to establish observatories at Perim and Paumben. The former 

 is much wanted in order to furnish meteorological data of the 

 southern part of the Red Sea, of which is not sufficiently representa- 

 tive, and the latter in connexion with the Bay of Bengal Storm 

 Signal Service. Additional observatories are much wanted in 

 Burma, in order to elucidate the meteorology of that area, and 

 ascertain the part it plays in deflecting the south-west current of 

 the Bay of Bengal, and in producing variations in its strength, and 

 the distribution of rainfall in North-East India. But it is 

 undesirable to open out new observatories in that province until 

 railway or telegraphic communication has been extended to all the 

 more important districts. Certain parts ,of India too are imper- 

 fectly represented, for instance, the north-west coast of Kathiawar, 

 certain parts of the Deccan (North-East Haidarabad), the eastern 

 districts of the Central Provinces, and certain portions of Chota 

 Nagpur, Rajputana, and Central India. 



Progress is being made in the introduction of a uniform system 

 of rainfall registratiou , and in 1889 a common hour, 8 a.m., was 

 adopted. Rainfall charts and statements of a far more compre- 

 hensive character than before are now prepared, giving an 

 accurate and fairly complete view of the progressive distribution of 

 rainfall over the country. A weekly summary is published in the 

 " Gazette of India," and rainfall charts drawn by hand are prepared 

 weekly for the Viceroy and the Agricultural Department. Mr. Eliot 

 has, however, suggested further changes of importance, including 

 the adoption of a common type of rain-gauge (i.e., Symons') 

 throughout India, the supply and testing of all rain-gauges by the 

 Meteorological Office before issue, more frequent inspections, the 

 examination of all rainfall data for elimination of errors, and the 

 annual publication of the rainfall data for the whole of India in a 

 complete form for the use of engineers, irrigation officers, 

 meteorologists of all nations, sanitary authorities, and generally 



