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SAXBY’S WEATHER SYSTEM TESTED IN CHRISTCHURCH.

The following table, showing the days on which storms, high winds, heavy rainfalls, or other remarkable atmospheric disturbances, occurred in Christchurch in 1865, has been prepared principally to test how much reliance can be placed on the prognostications of Mr. Saxby, as set forth and explained in his "Lunar Weather System."

The following paragraphs, extracted from the above work, explains, in a few words, the principal features of Mr. Saxby’s lunar theory, and may interest those who have not seen the book itself:—

"I find that the phases of the moon, properly so called, do not perceptibly affect the weather.

"That the period of new moon has a marked influence on the weather, when occurring near the periods of lunar equinox or lunar stitial colure, and that this influence is heightened considerably if at the same time the moon be in perigee. That the mere fact of her being new or in perigee is of no importance at any other times; so that when the lunar equinox or stitial colure occurs at the same period as the new moon in perigee, the greatest atmospheric disturbances to which our earth is liable may then be expected with certainty of fulfilment.

"Now, either the moon crosses our equator or is at her stitial colure (or greatest distance from our equator) about once in a week," . . . "therefore there is an atmospheric disturbance from this cause, say once a week, and it is invariably tracable," &c.

In the following list there are 89 days which proved disturbed in a marked degree in 1865, of these 23 coincide with Mr. Saxby’s suspected periods, as foretold by him, to which must be added 30 more, according to his stipulation for "the day after, and especially the second day after," and the day previous. There remain 36 which do not correspond at all with any of these. Of the three greatest storms, previously described, which occurred during the year, one happened the day after, the second two days after, and the third four days after the dates in his list. Four periods in the year, from a combination of causes, are pointed out by Mr. Saxby as particularly liable to be unsettled; of these one passed off quietly, the weather being remarkably fine for some time before and after; but on each of the remaining dates bad weather occurred in a marked degree. The corresponding dangerous periods in the present year, 1866, will take place on or about the following days, viz., April 15th, May 15th, June 12th, and July 12th. On very many of Saxby’s days, however, although the weather may not break, more or less disturbance in the atmosphere may be observed (particularly by those who have instruments at their command), such as scud, showing by its swift motion the proximity of a gale; very changeable winds, flying all round the compass in 24 hours, or backing; or clouds driven in various directions at once; sudden calms; sudden frosts, &c. But it is probable that what Mr. Saxby calls the "efficacy of local influences," such, for example, as the neighbourhood of the high mountain chain running through this island, will be found to be so great as in a great measure to counteract the proper fulfilment of his predictions.

N.B. Those days in Mr. Saxby’s list which proved much disturbed are marked by an asterisk. The remaining periods which he foretold as liable to change, and which were partly verified, may be seen by comparing the respective dates. The right hand column contains the number of miles of wind which passed the station on each of the days named in 24 hours.