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mericement of tlic wet season. I have resided in the State since early in 1849, 

 and I have never known it to ftxil. I am informed by old Californians, Avho 

 were born in the country, that it has always been observed. It is a never-fail- 

 ing freak of nature. This year the water in tlie small streams and springs 

 commenced rising about the first of August, at least two months eai'lier than any 

 previous year since 1849. When we consider the fact that the springs and. 

 streams are rising, that the foliage has begun to fall from trees and shrubs, 

 and that during the past four months the winds have blown from the sea 

 inland the greater portion of the time, nearly opposite to that it usually docs, I 

 think we have good reason to look for rains as early as the middle of October ; 

 and I would not be surprised to see rain as soon as the first of October." 



The " freak of nature" mentioned by our correspondent is seen here at the 

 close of severe droughts, as well as in California, and is, we think, easy to be 

 explained. In time of severe drought, the winds usually blow from the west 

 and northwest. They are very dry, as will be seen presently, and also highly 

 positively electrified. From both these conditions they absorb moisture in 

 great quantities. Whilst they continue blowing, the waters of springs, rivu- 

 lets and branches, or creeks, are decreased by this absorption. But prior to the 

 fall of rain, the winds veer to the south and southwest, and being moist and 

 less positively electrified, they absorb but little. Hence there is less evapora- 

 tion of the springs and rivulets, and being fed by the subsoil moisture with a 

 uniform supply, there must be an increased volume of water in them. 



Our correspondent refers to a singxxlar fact, when he states that the south- 

 west wind brought no rain. It must appear extraordinary to one not familiar 

 with the machinery employed by nature for the distribution of moisture to be 

 told that there is a wind blowing over the vast expanse of the Pacific ocean 

 into the land, where so near and lofty a range of mountains as the Nevada are 

 ready to intercept any moisture in them, and precipitate it on the narrow coast 

 valleys. There can, therefore, be no moisture in this wind, although it comes 

 from the ocean. But the phenomenon is susceptible of an explanation, and 

 having an interest to all our .readers, as well as to Californians, we here give 

 it, although requiring some space. 



The machinery employed by nature for the distribution of moisture is simple, 

 and we take the following brief statement of it from the article on California 

 published in the Agricultural Report for 1862. 



" On each side of the equator, when the sun is vertically above it, and reach- 

 ing to about the fifteenth degree of latitude on each side of it, and moving with 

 the sun as it travels north and south of the equator, is a belt of dry surface 

 winds encircling the earth, and blowing with a uniform and gentle force into 

 the equator. The wind of the north belt blows from the northeast ; that of the 

 south belt from the southeast. As these surface winds approach each other, 

 they rise, being expanded by the intense heat of the vertical sun, and become 

 upper currents. The surface or lower currents are called the trade-winds ; the 

 upper, the counter trade. Mr. IMaury and Mr. Butler maintain that the south 

 belt of trade-wind, when it rises, becomes the northern counter trade or upper 

 current, and the north belt of trade-wind becomes the southern upper counter 

 trade. These currents pass through each other in strata, which may be repre- 

 sented by passing the fingers of the hands between each other. But the gen- 

 erally received opinion is, that these siu-face currents strike against each other 

 as they ascend, and turn each other back over the hemispheres from which they 

 came. I regard the first opinion as more philosophical, because currents of air 

 more readily stratify than repel each other, and because the southern hemi- 

 sphere of the earth is chiefly water, the immense evaporations of which are more 

 needed to water the land hemisphere of the north than to be discharged on 

 the ocean, where they arc not ueeded. ' Nothing has been formed Avithout a 

 purpose.' 



