AMERICAN LUMBER IN FOltUIGN MARKETS. 141 



with a hard sharply- defined outline, gradually spreading over the sky, the clouds at 

 the same time increasing in density as they change their character, with scud form- 

 ing heneath. The rain increases as the wind veers to the northwest, and often 

 extends over a large area to the north and is sometimes accompanied with heavy 

 thunder and lightning, usually terminating with a gale from the southwest. The 

 same thing occurs in the winter; but the wind at that season hangs longer about the 

 west, often backing to the northwest, with heavy rain and wind. These are usually 

 our heaviest and most widely diffused falls, the rains from the southwest seldom 

 extending far inland. 



The summer may be regarded as extending from October to March. After that 

 month the temperature falls rapidly, very rarely reaching 90 in the shade. * * * 

 The weather during April and a great part of May is simply perfection, and the same 

 applies to most of the winter and till the end of October. Although corresponding 

 to the autumn or early winter of Europe it is virtually spring, when vegetation^ 

 refreshed by the first rains after the drought of summer, bursts into fresh life, and 

 the whole surface of the land is clad with verdure. Heavy rains frequently fall in 

 May, and the greatest downfalls usually occur in that mouth. The coldest months 

 are June, July, and August, but the mean temperature is not very low. The cold is 

 sometimes much felt in the winter months, because of the contrast it emphasizes 

 between the summer weather and the genial temperature which prevails in other 

 portions of the year. Frosts occasionally occur on the plains, and frequently on the 

 hills. Ice, perhaps a quarter of an inch thick, is occasionally noticeable in shallow 

 surface pools, but this rarely if ever survives an hour's sunshine.- Snow has some- 

 times fallen at Mount Lofty and on other high summits in the ranges, and at other 

 times a few miles north of Kooringa, which is 1,560 feet above the level of the sea. 

 Snow is, however, quite phenomenal in south Australia, and the drift does not 

 remain on the ground for more than an hour or two, whenever it does occur. 



In writing on the subject of the course of the seasons and weather 

 forecasts, late Sir George Kingston gave the following as the results of 

 his observations extending over forty years : 



The heaviest rain throughout the year may be expected with a wind at about 

 northeast, the rain commencing to fall gently and the wind light, both gradually 

 increasing as the latter veers around to the north, and thence to the north west, when 

 the violence of both wind and rain has much increased. After this the wind may be 

 expected to draw around to the west, when the rain generally ceases, or at least 

 rarely falls except in heavy squalls and showers, and the weather clears up. The 

 time occupied by a continuous fall of rain, as thus described, rarely amounts to 

 twelve hours. The wind will, however, frequently hang at about west, with a few 

 points of variation to the south and north for some days, during which period rain 

 occurs in showers if to the south, and more steadily in proportion to the northing of 

 the wind. The heaviest rains, assuming a tropical character, may be expected after 

 a hot northeast wind drawing round to the northwest, at which point an inch of 

 rain and upwards has often fallen within the hour, accompanied with heavy thunder 

 and lightning; or, as in October, 1854, the rain is represented by tremendous hail- 

 storms, the hail assuming the form of flat pieces of ice. 



As regards the use of the barometer in forming a judgment on the weather to be 

 expected, I have to observe that the barometer invariably begins to fall with a north- 

 east wind, continuing to fall as the wind increases in violence and draws round by 

 the north, northwest, and westerly, at or about which point it reaches its lowest 

 figure. The barometer generally begins to rise with the least southing in the wind. 

 Now, although a low barometer thus agress with the heaviest fall of rain, it is 

 impossible to draw certain conclusions from it as to probability of rain or otherwise 

 unless, indeed, when the wind is violent, as then, even with every appearance 01 

 heavy cloudy weather, rain rarely occurs. Calm, murky weather, accompanied by 



