462 ON THE MEDICAE TOPOGRAPHY OF SINGAPORE. 
Table No 3 is formed from the observations of Captain Davis 
during 6 years. These observations were conducted in a brick house 
on the beach Campong-Glam, the thermometer being placed in a 
bow window on the ground floor; not having any further particulars, 
1 cannot say in what other respects the manner of taking the obser¬ 
vations may agree or differ with that of the observatory. 
The average temperature of each month at 6 a. m. and 12 noon 
being added and divided by 2 gives the mean for the month,* and 
these monthly means being divided by 12 gives the mean tempera¬ 
ture of the years 
1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 
as 73. 5 79,4 80.2 79.8 81.0 81.4 
Contrast that with the following one constructed from the observa¬ 
tions taken at the Observatory during the same hours—viz. at 6 a. 
u. and noon. 
Table No. 4,— Thermometer. 
1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 
82. 82. 08 81. 58 83. 7 84. 04 
From the examination of these 2 tables I would make this infer¬ 
ence, that in 20 years the temperature of this island has increased 
2° 48. This is a most important fact; because if in every 20 years 
the temperature received such an increase, it would not require ma¬ 
ny generations to pass away before it became insupportable. But 
such will not take place as the cause is purely local and temporary, 
and in the course of time will be remedied. When Captain Davis 
made his observations, Singapore possessed very few houses, and 
these were on all sides surrounded by primitive jungle or equally 
dense mangrove swamps. From observation we know that a grass 
plot is much cooler than fresh ploughed land, as shewn in Edin¬ 
burgh where a differential Thermometer indicated an increased tem¬ 
perature of 8° in a fresh ploughed land, while a grass-plot adja¬ 
cent shewed no more than 3°, a hint that planters, more especially 
in Pinang, where droughts are frequent, ought not to overlook, when 
for appearance sake or other reasons they remove the fine grass a- 
* See proceeding note.™ Ed. 
