We are extremely glad to note that a most "t useful measure has been adopted by the Har-hour Master's department, with the object of giving warning to commanders of vessels about to leave Hongkong for the Northern ports, as to the weather they are likely to encounter, The first return giving the height of the barometer, the temperature, direction and force of the wind, &c., as simultaneously recorded at Shanghai, Amoy and Hongkong, was published by us yesterday, and a similar return will in "future occupy standing place in our columns, Weneed not, enlarge upon the benefit to the shipping community which carefully compiled. information of this nature is calculated to afford, The Weather Bureau" of the United States and "Meteorological Department" of the Board of Trade have sufficiently demonstrated. the value of returns, far more extensive indeed, but precisely similar. All that we desire to do ig to express on Uchalf of a, very lange number of the public both our sincere gratification at the fact of a beginning having been shade, and an equally sincere hope that it will develope into something approaching an act of international importance.
For much yet remains to be done towards completing thie idea, if itis to assume for the foreign settlements in Eastern Asia the importance attained by similar movements on the British, French and American Coasts. Happily we on this occasion advocate no principle distasteful either to officials or Inynen, and we write under the conviction that all we can say will receive as much attention from those upon whom it will devolve to develope first beginnings into a perfect and. well-considered system, as from that section of the community for whose benefit those beginnings are made. We write in ignorance of the extent to which public funds have been devoted to securing the telegrams now published. The credit may belong to the Telegraph Company or to the department, Dut in either case the public have reason to be thankful. All we would say is that the good already done will be enormously increased if steps be take to complete a work so well begun, soon as the intermediate ports are connected up, similar telegrams will, we trust, be forthcoming from them also. To make the scheme thoroughly available, moreover, "Nagasaki, iron, Singapore and Manila should also placed in meteorological communication with Hongkong. A daily return of the buro-metrical readings, force and direction of the wind from every port between Japan and the Phillippines inclusive, would give mariners Jat each point nearly' all that they need to no part of the world isa scheme, such as we Know in forecasting, probable typhoons, hope eventually to sce established, likely to render such services to shipping as that under discussion. Tf the Toast dimity is exper enced as to funds, an infinitesimal levy of ton-j nage dues would probably be sufficient, and we greatly mistake public feeling on the matter if avery hearty support would not be accorded to the project by all that section of the Community interested in shipping matters.
will not be out of place if, apropos this matter, we repeat a suggestion, made some time ago, to the effect that in cases of bad weather being known to. exist "in proximity to the island, some conspicuous signal might be hoisted at the Harbour Master's office anil at the Peak, so that captains of vessels would feel justified in delaying their departure when the storm signal was fying. It might be either a flag or a cone, the only condition being that it' should be thoroughly distinctive. No doubt the baron meter gives sufficient warning of the approach of any storm in the immediate vicinity of the island, but the object to be gained is the dis. semination of information. regarding, storms sufficiently distant from this port to leave the barometer comparatively unaffected. Nothing stands it the way of inaugurating afew simple signals indicating that bad weather prevails to the Northward or Southward of Hongkong. An experiment might at least be made. The touch-scoffed-at storm signals" of poor Ad-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.