(St. George), lat. 32° 22′ N., long. 64° 30′ W.—This group of Islands is becoming a favourite health resort with Americans, who are able in a couple of days (600 sea miles) to exchange the turmoil of Wall Street for the holy calm of the Atlantic. The climate is extremely pleasant, without being too relaxing, the mean temperature of the year being 69·4° F. (20·7° C).

Jan. April August October
62° F.
(16·6° C.)		 64° F.
(17·8° C.)		 79° F.
(26·2° C.)		 69·5° F.
(20·7° C.)

The month of March, with a mean of 61° F. (16° C.), is cooler than February, and the absolute annual extremes of temperature are 91·5° F. (33° C.), and 43° F. (6° C.). The relative humidity stands very constantly about 70 per cent., and the cloudiness of the sky rather higher. The general direction of the wind is S.W., bearing more to the north in winter, and southerly in summer and autumn. There are on the average 159 days on which rain falls during the year, producing a total of 45·28 ins. (1,150 mm.) of rain; the most rainy month being October, and the least so April and June. There is very little variation during the twenty-four hours, so that the climate is well suited for delicate chests.

These islands depend for water almost entirely on rain caught and stored in tanks, so that the amount obtained during the last shower is said to be one of the main subjects of conversation and interest among the islanders.

Madeira

 (Funchal). Lat. 32° 37′, Long. 16° 55′ W.—Situated off the coast of Africa, in nearly the same latitude as the preceding, this well-known health resort has a slightly lower mean annual temperature of 65·5° F. (18·6° C.); the mean of the coldest month, February, being 59·6° F. (15·4° C.), and of the hottest, August, 72·7° F. (22·6° C.)

During twenty-five years the absolute extremes of temperature were 90·7° F. (32·7° C.) and 43·6° F. (6·5° C.). The air is drier than that of Bermuda, the relative humidity averaging 68 per cent.; March, with 65 per cent., being the driest, and July, with 70 per cent., the moistest month.

The amount and distribution of the rainfall is as below:—

  Jan. Feb. Mar. Apl. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
                         
Rainfall -   Ins. 4·18 3·18 2·87 2·13 0·92 0·53 0·03 0·08 0·67 2·38 5·28 4·67
Mm. 106 81 73 54 23 13 1 2 17 60 134 119
No. of rainy days 10·7 8·6 9·4 7·3 5·3 2·3 0·8 1·0 3·3 7·9 10·5 11·6

The total rainfall is thus under 27 inches, and owing to the occurrence of east winds coming from the African desert, the air often becomes very dry during its continuance. Madeira has earned a high reputation for the treatment of cases of consumption, but has been less recommended for such cases since the introduction of the open-air treatment; and it should be recognised that neither this nor any other climate can do more than retard the progress of advanced cases. It is an excellent country, however, in which to live in the open air, and cases that find Funchal too relaxing can obtain a somewhat more bracing climate on the higher ground of the interior of the island.

In any case Madeira forms an excellent resort for those who, without being actually ailing, find themselves unable to withstand the damp and cold of our English winters.

Notes on the Observation of Meteorological Data.

Few houses will now be found without a thermometer and barometer, and many people are fond of keeping a register of their observations. Moreover, where the observer chances to be stationed in an out-of-the-way place, even a casual domestic register of this sort may be of considerable value. . . . The instruments required are the wet and dry bulb thermometers, a rain gauge, and a barometer.

Those who have to move about in the backwaters of civilisation, will probably find the mercurial barometer rather a “white elephant,” as it requires great care and attention whenever it is necessary to move it; and for such, a good aneroid is a more desirable possession. It is, of course, important that the instrument should be compared, whenever opportunity occurs, with a standard mercurial instrument; but for merely observing extent of fluctuation an aneroid is quite accurate enough for all practical purposes. The rain gauge must of course be set up in some open and unsheltered position near the ground level, and the thermometers should be hung in a north verandah (for the northern hemisphere) against a piece of felt which will help to protect them from the heat radiated from the wall. The aneroid, on the other hand, may be hung in any position where it is well protected from the weather—on the ground-floor. The direction of the wind can easily be observed by means of a small triangular flag or burgee hoisted to a pole, which, unless the neighbourhood be a very open one, is best lashed up in a tree so as to project above its branches.

Those, however, who desire to take up the study of their local meteorology seriously, will do well to obtain a little pamphlet, entitled “Hints to Meteorological Observers,” by W. Marriott, published at 1s. 6d., under the auspices of the Royal Meteorological Society, by E. Stanford, 12, Long Acre, W.C., which contains complete instructions on the subject.

From the point of view of the tropical resident, it is unfortunate that some of the tables in this publication are hardly carried high enough, but the instructions will enable anyone to amplify them. On this account, I append a table for calculating relative humidity of a less elaborate sort, but more extended than that furnished in the pamphlet, as this is one of the most important of all climatic factors from a sanitary point of view.

The table is only worked out to half degrees of difference between the wet and dry bulb instruments, and for the most part to 4° intervals of the dry thermometer, but it is easy, by reading between the lines, to fill up the gaps, where any marked interval exists; and it will be observed that at the lower right-hand corner of the second table, the numbers progress in regular arithmetical progression, so that it is not difficult to infer the percentages in cases of somewhat higher degrees of temperature and dryness.


Table for Calculating the Relative Humidity of the Atmosphere % by the Dry and Wet Bulb Thermometer.
Difference
of Wet
and Dry
Bulbs		 Reading of the Dry Bulb Thermometer. Difference
of Wet
and Dry
Bulbs
32° 34° 36° 38° 40° 44° 48° 52° 56° 60° 64° 68° 72° 76° 80° 84° 88° 92° 96° 100°
0·5 92 94 95 95 96 96 96 96 97 97 97 97 97 97 98 98 98 98 98 98 0·5
1   87 89 91 91 92 92 92 93 93 93 94 94 94 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 1  
1·5 81 84 86 87 88 88 88 89 89 90 91 91 92 93 93 93 93 93 93 93 1·5
2   76 80 82 83 84 84 85 86 87 88 88 89 89 89 90 90 91 91 91 91 2  
2·5 70 75 78 79 80 81 82 83 83 84 85 85 86 87 87 87 88 88 88 89 2·5
3   65 71 74 76 76 78 79 80 81 82 82 83 83 84 85 85 85 85 86 87 3  
3·5 60 66 70 72 73 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 82 83 83 83 83 84 85 3·5
4   56 62 66 69 70 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 80 81 81 81 82 83 4  
4·5 52 58 62 65 66 69 70 71 72 74 75 75 76 79 78 78 79 79 80 81 4·5
5   48 55 59 62 63 65 67 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 76 77 77 78 79 5  
5·5 45 52 56 59 61 62 64 65 67 69 70 71 72 73 74 74 75 75 76 77 5·5
6   41 49 53 56 58 60 62 63 65 66 68 69 70 71 72 72 73 73 74 75 6  
6·5 38 46 50 53 55 57 59 61 62 64 65 67 68 68 69 70 70 71 72 73 6·5
7   35 43 47 50 52 55 57 59 60 62 63 65 65 66 67 68 68 69 69 70 7  
7·5 32 40 44 48 49 52 54 56 58 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 66 67 68 69 7·5
8   30 37 42 45 47 50 52 54 56 58 59 60 61 63 64 64 65 66 67 68 8  
8·5 29 35 40 42 44 48 50 52 54 56 57 58 60 61 62 63 63 64 65 66 8·5
9   27 33 38 41 42 46 48 50 52 54 55 56 58 59 60 61 61 62 63 64 9  
9·5 25 31 36 38 40 43 46 48 50 52 53 54 55 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 9·5
10   23 30 34 36 38 41 44 46 48 50 52 53 54 56 57 57 58 59 60 61 10  
10·5 21 28 32 34 36 40 42 44 46 48 50 51 52 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 10·5
11   19 26 30 32 34 38 40 43 45 46 48 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 11  
11·5 17 24 28 30 32 36 38 41 43 45 46 48 49 50 52 53 54 55 56 57 11·5
12   16 23 27 29 31 34 36 39 41 43 45 46 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 12  
12·5 15 21 28 27 29 32 34 37 39 42 43 45 46 47 48 49 51 50 53 54 12·5
13   14 20 24 26 28 31 33 36 38 40 42 43 45 46 47 48 50 51 52 53 13  
13·5 13 18 23 25 27 30 32 35 36 38 40 41 43 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 13·5
14   12 17 22 24 25 28 30 33 35 37 39 40 42 43 45 46 47 48 49 50 14  
14·5 11 16 21 22 24 26 29 31 34 36 37 39 40 42 43 45 46 47 48 49 14·5
15   10 15 20 21 23 25 28 30 33 35 36 38 39 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 15  
15·5 10 14 18 20 22 24 26 28 31 33 35 37 38 39 41 42 43 44 45 46 15·5
16   9 13 17 19 21 23 25 27 30 32 34 35 37 38 39 40 42 43 44 45 16  
16·5 8 12 16 18 20 22 23 26 29 31 33 34 36 37 38 39 41 42 43 44 16·5
17   7 12 15 17 19 21 22 25 27 30 31 33 34 36 37 38 39 41 42 43 17  
17·5 7 11 14 16 18 20 21 24 26 28 30 32 33 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 17·5
18   6 10 13 15 17 19 20 23 25 27 29 31 32 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 18  
18·5 — — — — — — 19 22 24 26 28 30 31 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 18·5
19   — — — — — — 18 20 23 25 27 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 19  
19·5 — — — — — — 17 19 21 24 26 28 29 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 19·5
20   — — — — — — 17 18 20 23 25 27 28 30 31 32 33 34 35 35 20  
Table for Calculating the Relative Humidity of the Atmosphere %
by the Dry and Wet Bulb Thermometer.
Difference
of Wet
and Dry
Bulbs		 Reading of the Dry Bulb Thermometer. Difference
of Wet
and Dry
Bulbs
32° 34° 36° 38° 40° 44° 48° 52° 56° 60°
0·5 92 94 95 95 96 96 96 96 97 97 0·5
1   87 89 91 91 92 92 92 93 93 93 1  
1·5 81 84 86 87 88 88 88 89 89 90 1·5
2   76 80 82 83 84 84 85 86 87 88 2  
2·5 70 75 78 79 80 81 82 83 83 84 2·5
3   65 71 74 76 76 78 79 80 81 82 3  
3·5 60 66 70 72 73 75 76 77 78 79 3·5
4   56 62 66 69 70 72 73 74 75 76 4  
4·5 52 58 62 65 66 69 70 71 72 74 4·5
5   48 55 59 62 63 65 67 69 70 71 5  
5·5 45 52 56 59 61 62 64 65 67 69 5·5
6   41 49 53 56 58 60 62 63 65 66 6  
6·5 38 46 50 53 55 57 59 61 62 64 6·5
7   35 43 47 50 52 55 57 59 60 62 7  
7·5 32 40 44 48 49 52 54 56 58 60 7·5
8   30 37 42 45 47 50 52 54 56 58 8  
8·5 29 35 40 42 44 48 50 52 54 56 8·5
9   27 33 38 41 42 46 48 50 52 54 9  
9·5 25 31 36 38 40 43 46 48 50 52 9·5
10   23 30 34 36 38 41 44 46 48 50 10  
10·5 21 28 32 34 36 40 42 44 46 48 10·5
11   19 26 30 32 34 38 40 43 45 46 11  
11·5 17 24 28 30 32 36 38 41 43 45 11·5
12   16 23 27 29 31 34 36 39 41 43 12  
12·5 15 21 28 27 29 32 34 37 39 42 12·5
13   14 20 24 26 28 31 33 36 38 40 13  
13·5 13 18 23 25 27 30 32 35 36 38 13·5
14   12 17 22 24 25 28 30 33 35 37 14  
14·5 11 16 21 22 24 26 29 31 34 36 14·5
15   10 15 20 21 23 25 28 30 33 35 15  
15·5 10 14 18 20 22 24 26 28 31 33 15·5
16   9 13 17 19 21 23 25 27 30 32 16  
16·5 8 12 16 18 20 22 23 26 29 31 16·5
17   7 12 15 17 19 21 22 25 27 30 17  
17·5 7 11 14 16 18 20 21 24 26 28 17·5
18   6 10 13 15 17 19 20 23 25 27 18  
18·5 — — — — — — 19 22 24 26 18·5
19   — — — — — — 18 20 23 25 19  
19·5 — — — — — — 17 19 21 24 19·5
20   — — — — — — 17 18 20 23 20  
Difference
of Wet
and Dry
Bulbs		 Reading of the Dry Bulb Thermometer. Difference
of Wet
and Dry
Bulbs
64° 68° 72° 76° 80° 84° 88° 92° 96° 100°
0·5 97 97 97 97 98 98 98 98 98 98 0·5
1   94 94 94 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 1  
1·5 91 91 92 93 93 93 93 93 93 93 1·5
2   88 89 89 89 90 90 91 91 91 91 2  
2·5 85 85 86 87 87 87 88 88 88 89 2·5
3   82 83 83 84 85 85 85 85 86 87 3  
3·5 80 81 82 82 83 83 83 83 84 85 3·5
4   77 78 79 80 80 81 81 81 82 83 4  
4·5 75 75 76 79 78 78 79 79 80 81 4·5
5   72 73 74 75 76 76 77 77 78 79 5  
5·5 70 71 72 73 74 74 75 75 76 77 5·5
6   68 69 70 71 72 72 73 73 74 75 6  
6·5 65 67 68 68 69 70 70 71 72 73 6·5
7   63 65 65 66 67 68 68 69 69 70 7  
7·5 61 62 63 64 65 66 66 67 68 69 7·5
8   59 60 61 63 64 64 65 66 67 68 8  
8·5 57 58 60 61 62 63 63 64 65 66 8·5
9   55 56 58 59 60 61 61 62 63 64 9  
9·5 53 54 55 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 9·5
10   52 53 54 56 57 57 58 59 60 61 10  
10·5 50 51 52 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 10·5
11   48 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 11  
11·5 46 48 49 50 52 53 54 55 56 57 11·5
12   45 46 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 12  
12·5 43 45 46 47 48 49 51 50 53 54 12·5
13   42 43 45 46 47 48 50 51 52 53 13  
13·5 40 41 43 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 13·5
14   39 40 42 43 45 46 47 48 49 50 14  
14·5 37 39 40 42 43 45 46 47 48 49 14·5
15   36 38 39 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 15  
15·5 35 37 38 39 41 42 43 44 45 46 15·5
16   34 35 37 38 39 40 42 43 44 45 16  
16·5 33 34 36 37 38 39 41 42 43 44 16·5
17   31 33 34 36 37 38 39 41 42 43 17  
17·5 30 32 33 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 17·5
18   29 31 32 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 18  
18·5 28 30 31 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 18·5
19   27 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 19  
19·5 26 28 29 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 19·5
20   25 27 28 30 31 32 33 34 35 35 20  

INDEX.