o 
4 
Meteorology. 
furmifcy of character. lit some places, and particularly in 
the bottom of valleys where it is covered by vegetable mud, 
and has undergone a natural bleaching, is a pure white kaolin, 
as may be observed at the commencement of the new road now 
being made up Bukit Timalt hill, but it generally imbeds quartz, 
granulates to some extent, and, at*a few feet below the surface, 
is mottled with red and other colours with various degrees, but 
it is sometimes altogether of a dark-red hue ; where this is the 
case, masses of half decomposed iron rock are found in it. 
12. Iron rock is also found over the surface in amorphous 
cellular blocks and small pebbles, or below tlie surface at 
depths varying from a few inches to a few feet in layers and 
similar pebbles. Frequently, however, lumps of decomposing 
granite, patches of visicular jaspideous rock, procellaneous rock, 
&c., are also found in it, the only unchanged constituent of 
the original rock being the quartz, and even that, is sometimes 
penetrated by the iron, 
13. The upper soil, or that which has been completely sub- 
jected to the influence of the atmosphere, is a clay with a 
greasy lustre, but oftener inclining to a dry friable appearance, 
in colour generally yellowish-brown ; this, with the small pro- 
portion of quartz, distinguishes it from the granite clays of 
Penang. 
14. The surface soil of the sandstone tract is a clay of a 
more sandy nature and poorer, owing to its containing a less 
proportion of iron in a free state. Clay soils absorb much water 
during showers, and contract and crack with dry weather. 
This contraction often tears asunder the roots of plants and 
free currents of dry air are admitted by the cracks and rents, 
which also injure the roots. To keep such soils in an equable 
condition, frequent showers are absolutely necessary, and any- 
thing which has a tendency to diminish the frequency of 
showers has consequently an injurious effect on the igriculture 
of the country. 
15. All the valleys are alluvial, the bulk of which deposit 
has been formed by the action of salt water. These valleys 
contain, therefore, the best soil of the island, and are every- 
where squatted upon by cultivators of vegetables, indigo, &c. 
1(3. The climate of Singapore is remarkable for its uni- 
formity of temperature and general salubrity, there is no hot 
or cold season, though it is observed that the months of Nov- 
ember and December are generally a degree or so below the 
average temperature of the other months, which is due, in a 
great measure, to the increase of rainfall at that season. 
17. By the kindness of Dr. M. F. Simon, Colonial Sur- 
geon, I have been put in possession of some valuable Meteoro- 
logical Records Front those for 1876 it appears that the mean 
annual temperature of the air is 8M° F., approximate temper- 
ature 79-9°, mean temperature of dew point 74*1°, highest tem- 
perature observed 91°, lowest 66°. See Appendix’D . ° 
A knowledge of these two latter is most important to the 
Forester, as it is the extremes of temperature which affects the 
possibility or otherwise of a plant succeeding. What is most 
striking, however, is the great humidity contained in the at- 
mosphere, which, counting saturation at 100°, falls only to 78° 
during any month of the year, while it is often as high as 80°, 
and gives an annual average of 79*4.° It is this high state of 
humidity, and the heavy night dews, which chiefly maintain 
the luxuriant vegetation of the island in its present condition, 
