92 



one portion of the eartli with cases which occur in another. 

 A very little science suffices to qualify the observer, excessive 

 heat leads to excessive evaporation, in consequence of 

 diminished atmospheric pressure, and excessive evaporation 

 leads to storms. We need to note observations all over the 

 world that we may discover how far causes in one country, 

 and even in one hemisphere, affect the climate in another. 

 If, again, there be a periodicity in the weather, and weather 

 storms, is that periodicity raised by the return of the maximum 

 frequency of the sun-spots ? Let every society like this 

 continue to register its observations in the service of science 

 and of the mercantile marine. 



I have now to do with a short report of one of our own 

 Local Storms. The paper I refer to was read during the 

 time of the visit of the American ship *' Swatara." Captain 

 Chandler, a scientific and intelligent observer, heard or read 

 my paper. A few months after his departure from this port 

 he favoured me v/ith a communication of his experience of 

 our waters on his way to New Zealand, which has, therefore, 

 a special interest to ourselves. I will, with this introduction, 

 read his short description of what he believes to have been 

 a true cyclone, confirming my previous impressions of what 

 we might expect of the behaviour of this class of storms iu 

 our Southern Hemisphere. 



The real causes which produce the cyclones of India and 

 China are but little understood. They are, however, clearly 

 connected with the monsoons. 



The ablest observers and writers upon physical geography 

 have doubted v/hether rotatory storms arc really ever met 

 with in the South Pacific Ocean. Such a conclusion has 

 probably been too hastily drawn. We have, indeed, no such 

 grand land ovens as are found in the deserts of North Africa 

 and Asia, to interfere with the north-east trade winds, yet 

 we have our hot Australian continent to influence our pre- 

 vailing south-east trades winds. We have but to remember 

 the origin of the typhoons of China, and the other storms 

 of the Indian Ocean, which have their origin in the effect 

 of the solar heat upon the plains of Asia, and w^e may expect 

 to meet with results on a smaller scale in our Australian 

 sea. It is true that the monsoons, to which the storms and 

 typhoons of the Northern Hemisphere are related, arise from 

 the interference with the trade Vvdnds, while the southern 

 portion of Australia, and all Tasmania and New Zealand 

 lie far outside the influence of S.E. trade winds ; but for all 

 that New Zealand and Tasmania lie in the great trade 

 current of a westerly wind, blowing from Cape of Good Hope 

 to Cape Horn. The monsoons of India and China, together 

 with their dependent storms, are the effect of the diversion 



