324 
MR. J. F. MILLER ON THE METEOROLOGY OF THE LAKE 
with great regularity, towards the head or eastern extremity of the vale ; and it is 
here that the greatest dej3th of rain is invariably found. The difference in the annual 
quantity between places contiguous to each other and in the same valley, is often 
remarkably great. The amount increases rapidly as we recede from the sea, and 
towards the head of the valley the incremental ratio is enormous. 
Loweswater, Buttermere and Gatesgarth, in the same line of valley, are about two 
miles apart from each other; yet in 1848 Loweswater has received 76 inches. Butter- 
mere 98 inches, and Gatesgarth \ 33^ inches of water. Here in a space of four miles, 
we have a difference of 57 inches in twelve months, and in some years the propor- 
tional excess is still greater. The head of Eskdale receives fully one-fourth more rain 
than the middle of the valley, and a like difference obtains between two stations in 
the Vale of Borrowdale about a mile apart, whilst the proportion between the deposit 
at Ennerdale Lake and a farm-house three miles to the westward, is as two to one 
nearly. 
At an early stage of this inquiry, 1 was forcibly struck wdth the rapid increment in 
the fall towards the head or terminal point of all valleys, and I made some expe- 
riments in order to ascertain whether the effect was appreciable at much shorter 
distances than any of those just referred to. For this purpose I caused a duplicate 
gauge to be made, in all respects exactly similar to the one at Wastdale Head, and 
fixed it about 200 yards higher up the valley. The two gauges were read off daily 
at the same hour for twelve months, and the following are the results : — 
Wastdale Head. 
1845. 
No. 1. 
No. 2. 
Difference. 
in. 
in. 
in. 
October 
12-35 
11-89 
0-46 
November 
12-31 
11-90 
0-41 
December 
16-18 
15-78 
0-40 
1846. 
January 
12-97 
12-47 
0-50 
February 
6-60 
6-58 
0-02 
March 
10-35 
10-07 
0-28 
April 
6-59 
6-16 
0-43 
May 
3-65 
3-44 
0-21 
June 
5-33 
4-88 
0-45 
July 
16-82 
16-59 
0-23 
August 
8-96 
8-97 
-0-01 
September 
3-79 
3-64 
0-15 
Inches 
115-90 
112-37 
3-53 
It will be observed that the higher gauge, marked No. 1, is always in excess, and 
that the difference in a single month sometimes amounts to half an inch, though the 
instruments are within two or three fields’ breadth of each other. Flere the effect of 
a slight increase in proximity to the higher mountains is very apparent. 
Temperature . — The mountain valleys are commonly supposed to be intensely cold, 
particularly in the winter season ; but the thermometer, so far from countenancing 
