OX TIIE 7UIXFALL OF SINGAPOBE. 33 



Observatory during 1811 'to 1844 — a period of four consecutive 

 years ; and the average annual number of wet days was set down 

 at 185 days, or a little over one-half the year, this last conclusion 

 being drawn from the observations of broken periods as below:—- 

 During 1820 ihere were 223 wet days* 

 1821 „ 233 „ 



„ 1824 w 133 „ 



1825 „ 171 „ 



739 



185 average of 4 years, 

 but searching for information on this point, I am enabled to fill up 

 the break, and we have: — 



During 1820 there were 229 wet days 

 „ 1821 „ 203 „ 



„ 1822 „ 218 „ 



„ 1823 „ 20S „ 



1824 „ 136 „ 



„ 1825 „ 171 „ 



1,165 



giving 194 as the average of 6 years. 



It would appear, that during the early days of the Settlement, 

 which only dates from 1819, from want of a rain guage (due to 

 the difficulties attendant on first occupation, and of getting things 

 from India), all that was attempted, was, to keep a register of the 

 readings of the thermometer and barometer (which every ship 

 carried), and a note only made of the number of fair days and wet 

 days. The earliest record of a register of rainfall that can be 

 traced is that of 1835. 



It is, however, interesting to note that the accepted average an- 

 nual rainfall of 1841 to 1844, has not been affected notwithstand- 

 ing the extensive clearing of forest that must have taken place 

 during the past forty years, for the average of Mr. Knight's regis- 

 ter (Table III.) keeps a little above it, viz., 93.94 inches, while the 



*By wet or rainy days, is understood days on which rain in more or lees 

 varying quantities from one -hundredth of an inch hae been registered. 



