During 1904 Cape Otway Forest (Victoria), registered 40.92 inches, Townsville (North Queensland) 26.32 inches, and Dunk Island—­only 110 miles from Townsville—­94.14 inches.  That was a dry year with us.  What is known in this neighbourhood as “the drought year” gave just 60 inches.  Plants unaccustomed to such hardship, and therefore devoid of inherent powers of resistance, then gave way with pitiful lack of resource, and as speedily recovered on the return of normal conditions.  Yet the 60 inches of “the drought year” represented more than twice the average rainfall of London.

The average annual rainfall for the State of Victoria during the last thirty years has been 26.68 inches.  Townsville (considered to be one of the driest places on the coast of North Queensland) averaged 45.54 inches during the period of thirty-four years.

Twenty-five miles further north the rainfall for 1904 exceeded that of Dunk Island by 6 inches more than the average rainfall of the upper basin of the Thames Valley, which is given as 28 inches.  Australia is big—­there is bigness in our differences.

Here in the tropics we have the finer weather—­no excess of either heat or cold, no sudden, constitution-shattering changes.  At Wood’s Point (Victoria) rain fell on 185 days in 1903, and on 166 days in 1904.  At Dunk Island rain occurred on 107 days in 1903 and On 92 days in 1904.  We had many more days of picnic weather, notwithstanding our overwhelming superiority in quantity of rain.  Moreover, in the tropics the bulk of the rain falls after sundown.  After a really fine day in the wet season the hours of darkness may account for several inches of rain.  Here over 12 inches have been collected between sundown and nine o’clock the following morning.

Particular references are confined to seasons three or four years past because recent official data, necessary for enlightening comparisons are not available, but in confirmation of statements concerning the meteorological conditions of the coast of tropical Queensland, the record of rainfall at Dunk Island since 1903 may be quoted: 

1904                         94.41 inches.
1905                         89.06   "
First nine months of 1906   134.70   "

Of the latter total, 56 inches occurred in February, two days (6th and 18th), accounting for 22.95 inches—­more than half the average rainfall of the State of Queensland.

An illustration—­homely but graphic—­of climatic differences may be given.  During the first five months of 1904 the rainfall of Dunk Island amounted to 75.15 inches, the lowest monthly record being May (5.30 inches) and the highest March (29.05 inches).  At the end of May on the Burdekin Delta—­150 miles to the south—­the sugarcane was beginning to be affected by the hot, dry weather, and irrigation was about to be resorted to.  Here in January it became necessary to repair the roof of the boat-shed, and to keep the ridge covering of paper-bark in position,