The first two ways of advancing meteorology need alone be considered in
detail; but with regard to all, it must be clearly understood that the
value of the work is greater the more carefully the observations are made
and recorded, and the more remote and less known the region.
1. A RECORD OF WEATHER.—The traveller who makes his journey for any
other purpose than the study of physical geography would be wise to
burden himself as little as possible with instruments, but to understand
thoroughly and use faithfully the few he carries. In a rapid march many
different climates may be traversed in a few weeks, and the records of
variation of weather so obtained could not have much value; but when a
halt of a few days or of a week or two is made, systematic observations
become valuable.
NON-INSTRUMENTAL OBSERVATIONS.
The first place must be given to non-instrumental observations, which may
be made at any time on the march or in camp, and should always be noted
at the time they are made in the rough note-book, and copied carefully
into the journal each evening. These observations in the rough note-book
will necessarily be mixed up with others on various subjects; but the
meteorological facts should have a place reserved for themselves in the
journal, say at the end of each day’s work.
_Wind._—Observations of the direction and force of the wind at several
fixed hours in the day are advisable for comparison with instrumental
readings; but on the march every decided change should be recorded if
the nature of the country permits. In the depths of a forest, or in a
narrow valley, the wind, if felt at all by the traveller, gives scarcely
any clue to the movement of the air over the open country, but in most
cases the movements of low clouds, when any are in sight, may be taken
as a fairly satisfactory test. The direction is to be observed by means
of the compass, and it will be sufficient to estimate it by the eight
principal points—North, North-east, East, South-east, South, South-west,
West, and North-west. Any sudden changes in direction so pronounced as
to be noticeable should be recorded, for, taken in conjunction with the
barometer readings, if the journey is along a route of nearly constant
level, they are valuable aids in predicting the weather. In some places
the direction of the wind undergoes a well-marked regular diurnal change
in perfectly settled weather.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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