ber
from 80 deg. to 110 deg. 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 kile, 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