XX METE0110L0GY OF BEN NEVIS. 



No time was lost in taking steps to erect the buildings, so that the practical 

 work of the Observatory should begin before winter set in. The directors were 

 the more anxious for this, seeing that the experience of a winter's work was 

 necessary to enable them to foresee and provide against the difficulties that 

 would arise next year, when additional buildings and continuously registering 

 apparatus would be required in the future work of the Observatory. The 

 buildings were erected from plans by Mr Sydney Mitchell, architect, and the 

 Observatory was formally opened by Mrs Cameron Campbell, the proprietor 

 of the ground on which the buildings are erected, on October 17, 1883. 

 Shortly thereafter, Mr E. T. Omond, superintendent, Mr Angus Rankin, first 

 assistant, and Mr Duncan, second assistant, went into residence, and on 

 November 28 the regular work of the Observatory commenced, consisting of 

 hourly observations by night as well as by day, which have been carried on 

 uninterruptedly since. 



Telegraphic communication was established by the Post Office authorities 

 between the Observatory and Fort- William ; and a resume of each day's 

 observations is telegraphed for the morning newspapers. 



The Observatory is fully equipped with instruments of the best description.* 

 A peculiarity of the system of observation carried on is that the whole of the 

 observations of temperature and humidity must be eye observations. This 

 necessity is occasioned by the peculiar climatic conditions which obtain at the 

 top of Ben Nevis, these being (1) the high winds which prevail, often exceeding 

 the rate of 100 miles an hour, thus rendering the indications of registering 

 thermometers practically useless; (2) the completely saturated atmosphere which 

 prevails so frequently, so complete being the saturation that everything exposed 

 in it is dripping wet ; (3) the formation of a thick incrustation of ice during 

 large portions of the year round every object exposed in the outside air; and (4) 

 the frequent choking up of Stevenson's thermometer screen by snow drifts. 



From the commencement the directors contemplated, as a constituent part 

 of this system of observations, the establishment of a Low-Level Observatory at 

 Fort- William, since it is not the observations made at the Observatory taken by 

 themselves, but these observations in their relations to similar ones made near 

 sea-level at Fort- William that will further meteorological research, and contribute 

 the aid required in forecasting weather. Accordingly, a station was estab- 

 lished at Fort- William in December 1883, and placed under the charge of 

 Mr Colin Livingston, of the Public Schools, at which observations are made 

 five times daily in connection with those made on Ben Nevis, the hours of 

 observation being 8 and 9 a.m. and 2, 6, and 9 p.m. The instruments here 

 are of the best description, including a barograph and a thermograph, used 

 chiefly as instruments for verification of the observations and for interpola- 



* See p. lii. 



