June, 1834. 



CLIMATE. 



269 



the colder parts of the year. Captain King has published 

 some most interesting tables in the GeographicalJournal.* 

 The Beagle during this voyage, was employed in the extreme 

 southern parts of the country, from December 18th to 

 February 20th. From the appearance of the vegetation 

 during the first part, and from the weather we experienced 

 at the Falkland Islands, subsequent to the last date, I feel 

 little doubt that these sixty-five days included the best part 

 of the summer. Perhaps if another fortnight had been 

 added, the mean would have been a little higher. The first 

 eighteen of these days were spent partly at sea, near Cape 

 Horn, and we were drifted for a short time by bad weather 

 to nearly ninety miles to the southward. The mean tem- 

 perature, from observations made every two hours by the 

 officers on board the Beagle, was 45°. During the succeed- 

 ing thirty-seven daysf the Beagle was at anchor in different 

 harbours a few leagues north of Cape Horn, and then the 

 mean from observations at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m., was 

 50°. The mean, therefore, between these two periods, which 

 include the hottest part of the year, is only 47°. 5. The 

 latter of the two periods was unusually warm, but the 

 former much the contrary, and the station where the obser- 

 vations were made was a little further to the southward. 

 The whole of these observations apply to the extreme 

 islands : Captain King's were made in a central position 

 1° 45' further northward. If from the above considerations 

 we add two degrees and a half to the mean obtained this 

 voyage, the result (50°) will probably give the temperature of 

 the hottest part of the year in central Tierra del Fuego. 

 Captain King gives as the mean temperature of June 32°.97, 

 of July 33°. 03, of the first twelve days in August 33°.25 ; 



* Journal of the Royal Geographical Society for the years 1830, 1831. 



t The mean of the maxima of these thirty-seven days was only 55°. 5, 

 and of the minima 45°. 3, — the mean range thus being 10°. 2. For the 

 whole sixty-five days, the mean of the maxima was only 51°. 7, which 

 certainly is a very wretched summer, and shows how little bright sun- 

 shine there can be. 



