THE EUSSIAN FUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 
17 
MonthJy means of Meteorologic Ohservations at Bering Island — Continued. 
PKEV AILING WINDS. 
Tear. 
J.an. 
Feb. 
Mar. 
Apr. 
May. 
June. 
J uly. 
Ang. 
Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
1882 ... 
s. 
H. 
s. 
S. & SW. 
N. 
NW 
s 
1883.... 
NE. 
S. 
JC. 
E 
N. 
s. 
s. 
S. 
S. 
SW. A NW. 
SW. 
E. 
1881.... 
NE. 
NE. 
N. 
N. 
S. 
s. 
s. 
E. 
SW. 
N. 
NE. 
E. 
1885.... 
E. 
NE. 
NE. 
N. 
N. 
s. 
s. 
S. 
s. 
NW. 
N. 
NE. 
1886. . 
NE. 
E. 
N. 
SW. 
MAXIMUjM HODELT velocity (IN TiriLES). 
[Taken from current velocities.] 
Tear. 
Jan. 
Eeb. 
Mar. 
A]>r. 
May. 
June. 
July. 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
1882 
29 
37 
42 
1883.... 
51 
11 
39 
36 
34 
36 
20 
47 
30 
43 
41 
42 
1881.... 
40 
48 
40 
43 
26 
18 
22 
40 
30 
46 
37 
34 
1885.... 
35 
43 
35 
35 
38 
32 
27 
25 
48 
37 
48 
1886 
37 
26 
41 
42 
A considerable amount of snow falls during tlie winter. The fierce winter gales 
usually blow it oft' the plateaus, forming immense drifts in the valleys and on the lee 
side of the mountains. In deep shadowy gullies it often remains all summer, and in 
cold seasons, as for instance 1895, large drifts still remain unmelted as late as 
September, even at the level of the sea. 
Drift ice seems to be of rare occurrence in recent times. I do not know how much 
reliance can be placed in old Pitr Burdukovski’s story to me that formerly, say 
about 1850, “ drift ice was yearly observed coming from the north in large masses.” 
Certain it is that Steller expressly states that during the winter no ice collected in the 
sea (Ber. Ins., p. 270). 
To complete the meteorologic account I may mention that thunderstorms are of 
rare occurrence on the Commander Islands. In 1879, on November 19, Mr. Krebs, 
after a residence of eight years in the main village on Copper Island, experienced the 
first thunderstorm. In 1881, on February 8, he records “ a stroke of lightning and a 
short, but strong thunderclap about 7 p. m.” Mr. Chernick, in Nikolski, Bering Island, 
reports “thunder and lightning” on September 12, 1878. I myself observed a thun- 
derstorm passing over Nikolski, September 18, 1882. The first lightning was observed 
at 9'' 58’« p. m., local time; wind, SW., 13 miles an hour; barometer, 29.552 inches; 
temperature of air, 52.2° F. ; clouds, cumulo-stratus, 8, direction SW.; intervals 
between first lightning and thunder, 96 seconds; sixth thunderclap (10‘' 25"' p. m.), 
12 seconds after lightning; tenth, 40 seconds; eleventh lightning before thunder of 
tenth. This was the last distinct thunder heard, 10^' 35’^ p, m. After that continued 
distant lightning lit up a narrow strip along the northern horizon. No lightning seen 
after IF' 10“ p. m. 
Aurora horealis is equally scarce. At Nikolski, on November 15, 1882, 1 observed 
a faint northern light at 12*' 30'" a. m., local time, extending to about XIrs. majoris. 
On November 17, 1882, I observed another at 10*' 40"' p. m., local time, consisting of 
a uniform greenish white light below, above which most of the time a large rosy space 
was seen filling the arch between y and ij TJrs. majoris ; a similarly colored but often 
E. C. B. 1896—2 
