f the
Porto Rican territory, but the Spanish Weather Bureau has published
certain observations which show the general conditions prevailing in San
Juan and the vicinity.

The climate, though hot, is agreeably tempered by the prevailing
northeast winds. At night there is always a pleasant breeze which
carries sweet fragrance along the northern coast. A temperature as high
as 117 degrees has been recorded, but this is most unusual. At San Juan,
the average temperature in August is about 81 degrees Fahrenheit; in
September, 80.5 degrees, and in October, 79.3 degrees. At night it sinks
to 68 or 69 degrees, which is more than it frequently does in New York
or Chicago during heated spells. The most marked feature of the climate
is that the summer's heat and rainfall keep up until late autumn. In the
hottest months the calm days average not far from ten a month, and these
have a very relaxing effect. For this reason it is advisable for
residents of temperate climes not to visit Porto Rico until November,
when the weather becomes beautifully fine and settled, and almost always
continues good during the winter and early spring.

The rainfall in San Juan, which can be taken as a fair index of that
along the northeastern coast, averages about 6.65 inches during August,
5.30 during September and 7.10 during October. But in some years the
heaviest fall was in September. Not infrequently the cultivated fields
and plantations are inundated, and swamps are formed. As has been
intimated, the southern part of the island is relatively much drier than
the northern, though the former is apt to experience excessive rains
during the passage of a hurricane.

It is fortunate for Porto Rico that it does not lie directly in the
track of West Indian cyclones. It has been visited, however, at long
intervals by devastating hurricanes, notably those of 1742 and 1825,
which destroyed a vast deal of property, and during the passage of which
many lives were lost. The terrible tornadoes of the tropics are very
erratic in their course, and are so apt to be deviated from their
accustomed paths that it is unsafe to assume that danger has passed for
Porto Rico until late in the autumn. Captains of all vessels during the
summer mouths should therefore exercise extraordinary vigilance to avoid
being caught in a hurricane.

The prevailing diseases of the island are yellow fever, elephantiasis,
tetanus, March fever and dysentery. There is no question but tha