34 
Introduction; Seasons and Winds. 
The Halmahera Group. These islands lying under or near the equator are 
chiefly under the influence of northerly winds from December to April and 
southerly ones from June to October, and as they are therefore not sheltered 
by any great land-masses they receive much rain with both winds. According 
to Dr. van der Stok there is “a principal maximum in June and July and a 
secondary maximum in January”, but the rainfall seems to be chiefly determined 
by the position of the place concerned - — whether it lies on the windward or 
lee shore of the island with sheltering hills behind. The climate is stated to 
be healthy. In Ternate the thermometer seldom rises higher than 30® C. (23.5® R., 
85® F.); in Halmahera the mean temperature on the coast is about 30® C. at 
midday and 23® C. at night. 
Burn and Ceram. — In consequence of the high mountain- chains which 
intersect these islands from west to east, a wall is presented to the alternating 
N. W. and S. E. Monsoons, so that, when the former is blowing, the northern 
or windward sides of the islands have their rainy season, while the southern 
sides, being sheltered by the mountains, are fine. This wind dominates from 
December to March. From May or June till October, when the S. E. Monsoon 
is blowing, the previous state of things is reversed; the southern parts now 
get their rainy and the northern their fine season. 
In the “Jahresb. des Ver. f. Erdk. zu Dresden”, 1892, 159, 160, Mr. C. Ribbe 
writes; “The climate of Ceram is one of the heathiest and most agreeable ex- 
perienced by me in the Indies ; from my tables of the temperature I find that 
the greatest degree of heat at Illu was 32 'A C. in the shade, the lowest 20® C. 
... By shifting quarters according to the time of year, it is possible to live 
in a perpetual spring, for the great heat, as also the wearisome rainy season 
can be avoided ; you build your hut now on the south and then on the north 
coast of the island. ... It would not be safe, however, to conclude that these 
weather conditions recur from year to year with mechanical regularity; on the 
other hand frequent exceptions to the rule take place, from which the travelling 
naturalist may have to suffer severely”. 
The rainfall has been studied at two places in Ceram — at Wahaai on 
the north coast and at Amahei nearly opposite on the south coast, spots which 
are separated by mountains from 6000 — 10,000 feet high. The following monthly 
averages for 15 years show the contrast in the seasons at the two spots. 
Jan. 
Febr. 
Mch. 
Apr. 
May 
June 
July 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Total 
Wahaai . 
280 , 
476 
293 
234 ] 
140 
106 
113 
94 
93 
107 
110 
212 
2258 
Amahei . 
127 
101 
121 
191 
274 
424 
537 
538 
241 
174 
101 
109 
2938 
The figures for February on the one hand and for July and August on the 
other are particularly instructive. The respective Monsoons are then esjDecially 
well developed. 
Amhoina and Saparua. These islands lying under the shelter of the south 
