_Climate and Rainfall_ There are considerable extremes of temperature in the plains. In summer it is very hot and dry with temperature ranging during June to September from 80° to 110° Fahr., while in winter slight frosts not infrequently occur. The climate is more equable, but also more humid, along the coasts. In the plains there is, during the greater part of the year, a marked variation between the day and night temperatures. Official records show that for a period of thirty-two years up to 1915 the average rainfall for hill and plain for the whole Island approximated to 20 inches. Up to 1902 records were kept only in the six district towns, but since then there have been some fifty recording stations. The mean rainfall during the winter months for the twelve years ended 1914 was 18.55 inches. That for the whole year during the latter period was 21.18 inches. The incidence of rainfall, apart from its volume, is of importance. It is on the rainfall of the six winter months, October to March, that the prosperity of the Island depends, and any shortage during this period cannot be balanced by heavier summer rains, which are more liable to cause harm than good, by damaging the corn lying on the threshing-floors and by causing sudden floods. Much importance attaches to the rains in March, without which the grain crop, however ample the earlier rains may have been, will not be satisfactory, as described in a maxim which I have attempted to render in English. If twice in March it chance to rain, In April once, a shower in May, In weight in gold of man and wain, The farmer's crops are sure to pay. If roads are dry at Christmas time, But Epiphany finds both mud and slime, And at Carnival they still hold many a pool, The farmer finds his barns quite full. _Administration_ The Island is administered by a High Commissioner. There is an Executive Council and a Legislative Council consisting of six official members and twelve elected members, of whom three are elected by the Moslem and nine by the non-Moslem inhabitants. The Island is divided into six districts, in each of which the Executive Government is represented by a Commissioner. _Weights, Measures and Currency_ Nearly everything except corn, wine, oil, carobs, cotton and wool is sold by the oke. An oke, dry measure, equals 400 drams, or 2-4/5 lb. The liquid oke is reckoned as equivalent to a quart. Grain is measured by the kilé, regarded as equal to a bushel. Wool, cotton and oil are sold by the litre of 2-4/5 okes, but commonly reckoned as 2-1/2 okes. Carobs are sold by the Aleppo cantar of 180 okes. This cantar is further divided into 100 litres of 1 oke and 320 drams each. Wine is sold by the kartos = 4 okes, the kouza = 8 okes, and the gomari = 128 okes. 1 kilé of wheat weighs 20 to 22 okes. 1 kilé of barley weighs 14 to 18 okes. 1 kilé of oats weighs 13 to 14 okes. 1 kilé of vetches weighs 23 to 24 okes. 1 sack of straw weighs about 40 okes.