232 TROPICAL AUSTRALIA. [1839. 



the nights comparatively cold. Further inland, the cold is 

 more excessive ; hoar frosts are frequent and severe ; heavy 

 falls of snow are common, and the upper flats and downs 

 often remain covered for several days. In the spring months, 

 (September, October, and November,) the thermometer varies 

 from 60° to 70°. 



But there is little to relieve the aridity of the climate in 

 the interior, where the heat is insupportable, alike in seasons 

 of flood as in those of drought ; and there is nothing pecu- 

 liar in the climatic phenomena of this desert region, unless 

 it be, that when the coast country is inundated with rain, it 

 is invariably the season of dry weather here, — and that the 

 converse is also true. On the coast, May is the wet season ; 

 but in the interior, the rains fall between September and 

 February. 



Tropical Australia is by no means so well known as the 

 southern portion of the continent ; but sufficient facts have 

 been ascertained to render it quite certain, that its climate 

 does not differ essentially from that of other parts of the world 

 similarly situated. Running water is scarce, and a large share 

 of the country is burned up with the intense heat. On the 

 northern coast, the temperature is sometimes suddenly raised 

 by the scorching winds from the interior. These hot fiery 

 blasts are, fortunately, not of frequent occurrence. The av- 

 erage temperature at Melville Island is 83° ; the extreme av- 

 erage being 75° in July, and 87° in December. The coolest 

 part of the day is about six o'clock in the morning. The 

 Indian monsoons are irregular in their recurrence, often vary- 

 ing more than a month. The north-western, or summer mon- 

 soon, usually sets in early in November; and the south-east- 

 ern about the first of April. During the prevalence of the 

 summer monsoon, there are heavy falls of rain, yet these sel- 

 dom continue above two or three hours at a time, and rarely 

 interrupt out-door labor. From June to September, there is 

 no rain, but this is the healthiest part of the year. While 

 the dry monsoon prevails, the atmosphere is exceedingly 

 moist ; so much so, that iron artieles are with difficulty kept 



