Unfortunately only few, scattered remarks other than shipwreck 
information can be found in the literature that point to these abnormal 
wind directions and thus no regular 
pattern is known for sure. In view M 
of the apparent great rarity of their occurance it was a fortunate thing 
that at least one meterologically interested observer has witnessed them 
$ 
over a period of many years. In the sailing manual for the Pacific Ocean, 
33JX 1897 edition, there is the statement of a factor Mi who had lived 
for thirty years on the guaho islands to the effect that on Maulden, 
Howland and nakc-r Islands once every ten years, regularly, stormy weather 
with MHMI M westerly winds is to be expected, which he said, occur-- 
ed particularly during the months November through March. This was true 
for example, he said, in 1867-1868 for Baker and Howland. 
Although the foregoing discussion 
has not been able to reach any confirmed result, it should nevertheless 
show that any information, even that supported only by memory as in 
is of value due to the overall scarcity of meteorological 
the above case 
information concerning Howland, and that certain data which could be 
gathered by the POBSP,such as wind direction, is of particular value. 
It will be promising to devote greater attention to weather phoenomena 
in the Howland area for usually greater changes take place in the equa¬ 
torial regions from year to year than we are in the habit of expecting 
(Enoch, 1927 ) and according to our concepts of the coherence of the system 
of the Earth's atmosphere they must affect changes in other parts of the 
Earth as well. 
