A LONG CYCLE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10006, 31 March 1910, Page 4

A LONG CYCLE.

Periodicity in weather is a favourite subject of investigation by .meteorologists. It is plain that a great advance would be made if we could establish such a periodicity as would 1 enable us to know, in a general way, I what Kind of weather was coming i over more or less lengthy periods of time. It has long been a theory that Australian weather runs in 19year cycles. Now Mr T. W. Keele, Sydney Harbour Commissioner, is sure he has found a weather cycle for the whole world. This, ftesaya, extends over 171 years. From a close study of Australian records, he has found that similar weather is not experienced every 19 years, although the change at that interval is very clearly defined, but that the weather experienced at Adelaide during the last twelve years, from 1897 to 1909, as been almost an exact repetition of what was experienced during the twelve years from 1840 to 1852, 57 years ago. Mr Keele, eager for some reliable record that went further back applied to the Director of Egyptian Surveys, who sent him figures relating to the inundations of the Nile from 1736 to From this material Mr Keele c*mie to the conclusion that the periodicity in the country of ' the Nile headquarters must be either 114 or 171 years. English and Contmental information was then examined, and it was.found that long droughts and wet seasons occurred regularly at intervals of 171 years. The Bible is cited as confirming this remarkable theory, just as it has been to prove the 19-year idea. Mr Keele holds that if the dates can be relied on the long drought so frequently referred to by Jeremiah and Ezekiel goes far to confirm the truth of the 171-year theory. This drought began in 612 8.C., and after it had lasted until the year 589,- its continuance for another forty yeais was predicted by Ezekiel. According to Mr Keele, this remarkable drought is shown to be repeated in a period nf Nile droughts, commencing in. A.D. 1782, and terminating in 1845. The intervals of time, B C. 612 plus 1 782, equals 2394 years, which is

exactly ] 4 cycles cf 171 years. Mr Keele is to lay his views before the Royal Society, but it is difficult to see how he will ever be able to advance his idea beyond the theory stage.