BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY LOG-BOOK, 1888. 



Jan. 2. — The tracks of a hare were seen at ther- 

 mometer box at 8 h to-day. 



Jan. 3.— The lamp was blown out at 18 h , causing the 

 outside readings at that hour to be from 2 to 3 m late. 

 There was a fall of - 122 inches in barometer from 23 h to 

 midnight. 



Jan. 4. — The temperature readings at l h , 2 h and 5 h 

 were taken from 2 to 3 m late, owing to the lamp being 

 blown out — the wind being so strong at l h that the 

 observer could not stand, and had to crawl to ther- 

 mometer box. At 2 h there was no drift, but junks of ice 

 and hard snow were flying about. At same hour the 

 observing book and form were blown away. It was 

 found impossible to carry raingauge and manage lamp in 

 early morning, hence no rainfall measurements were 

 obtained; and in afternoon the gauge was each hour 

 ftill or almost so of surface drift, which made the 

 readings worthless. The Eobinson anemometer was set 

 agoing at 9 h 50 m , but was tied up again at 19 h . After 

 18 h , in an average squall, the velocity indicated by 

 anemometer was 93f miles per hour. The squall which 

 was measured had an estimated force — -10. 



Jan. 6. — Top clearing at times in forenoon, showing 

 wild sky above with bands of clouds lying E. and W., 

 and heavy cum.-str. all round on other hills. 



Jan. 7. — The thermometer box was shifted after the 

 15 h observation — height on ladder not changed. 



Jan. 8. — The top cleared at 22 h , and till midnight the 

 sky overhead was cloudless, but dark clouds were ob- 

 served low to S.E., and fog or mist covered the hills all 

 round. 



Jan. 9. — The top cleared after 7 h and remained clear 

 except for occasional whiffs of passing mist for the rest of 

 the day. At 10 h it was noted that the upper clouds were 

 lying E. and W., and in places where the structure was 

 ribbed, the ribs were lying N. and S. At 16 h the 

 shadow of Ben Nevis was observed above horizon to 

 N.E. The sun did not set till 16 h 15 m . After the sun 

 had set the earth shadow was seen rising to E. topped by 

 red clouds. About sunset the sky was hazy. 



Jan. 10. — Mist on top till 6 h and passing at times till 

 13 h , but top quite clear and sky cloudless for rest of day, 

 but fog on hills to about 4000 feet. At 16 h the fog to 

 W. was much higher than Ben, but sloped down as it came 

 towards Ben, but was very low over the Loch basin, and 

 was breaking up to E. At same hour earth shadow was 

 seen topped by rosy clouds. At 18 h bright meteor seen. 

 It fell from a little to W. of Capped to fore paws of Great 

 Bear; its path hung at an angle of 45° to horizon. At 21 h 

 and 22 h an aurora was seen. At the former hour it was 

 pretty bright and there was a dark cloud below it, but at 

 latter it was faint and only seen between a dark cloud and 

 horizon. 



Jan. 11. — Except from 8 h till 12 h the sky overhead 

 was cloudless all day, but till 17 h patches and. bands of 

 str.-cir. were observed all round below 30°. At 10 h the 

 bands thus observed were lying E. and W. At 8 h 50 m 

 shadow of Ben seen. Fog in valleys to about 3000 ft. 

 till ll !l , and below 2000 ft. till 17 h , after which it van- 

 ished. At 16 h shadow of Ben was seen above horizon 

 to E.JST.E. When the earth shadow was on a level with 

 its apex it was 1° 32' above horizon. Just before vanish- 

 ing, and when the disc of the sun had half set, its 

 height was 1° 45' (measured by steph.). At 20 h the 

 zodiacal light was seen as a grey light sloping from 

 W.S.W. horizon to about 30° above S.S.W. horizon. 

 It was visible at 21 h , and faintly at 22 h . From 20 h till 

 midnight an aurora was observed, streamerless, except at 

 22 h , and more or less ill defined and faint. 



Jan. 12. — The above aurora continued till after l h to- 

 day, but at 2 h and following hours there was none. The 

 hills and valleys around were clear till 7 h . At 8 h fog was 

 observed over Loch Linnhe, and in valleys to N., which 

 kept spreading and increasing till at 13 h , and for the rest 

 of the day there was fog all round. From 18 h to 20 h a 

 dark cloud bank was seen to W. increasing and approach- 

 ing. At 21 h there was thin mist passing. (It could not 

 be determined whether this mist was due to the above 

 ' cloud bank ' or to the fog in valleys). The sky was 

 overcast with a thin pall at 22 h and 23 h , through which 

 stars could be seen. Thin mist enveloped summit at 

 midnight. The Ben shadow and earth shadow were seen 

 after 16 h , and the zodiacal light at 20 h . 



Jan. 13. — Very wet mist on summit till 5 h , but so thin 

 that the brighter stars were seen all the time. During 

 the rest of the day the top was clear and the sky overhead 

 almost cloudless, but fog on hills around to about 3000 

 feet. At 16 h the Ben Nevis shadow was seen to N.E. 

 When the sun's disc was half down, the apex of Ben 

 shadow and top of earth shadow were 1° 22' above hori- 

 zon. The Ben shadow was much darker than earth 

 shadow. At 16 h 16"* the former was seen as a black 

 speck in the latter. The sun set at 16 h 18 m , and then 

 the top of earth shadow was 2° 29' above horizon. From 

 18 h to midnight an aurora was observed. At 19 h it was 

 double arched. At 19 h 15 m the top of upper arch was 

 at Polaris. At 19 h 20 m this arch was at zenith, and its 

 ends were at W.S.W. and N.E. horizons. At same time 

 the second arch was double throughout its whole length, 

 and triple in eastern half, and all these sections were 

 giving out short streamers. Between this second arch 

 or series of arches and horizon, another thin arch and 

 sometimes two were seen, and also a number of short jets 

 or streamers having no connection with any arch. From 

 19 h 20 m to 19 h 25 m the display was at its best. After this 

 the upper arch began slowly to retreat towards N. hori- 



