SOUTHERLY BURSTERS. 35 



autumn months. Under these circumstances the burster, though 

 strong, was generally of brief duration. 



THE PAMPERO. 



The opinion has long been held that there is a close analogy 

 between the southerly burster of Australia and the pampero of 

 South America. The writer therefore sent a detailed description 

 of the burster to a friend formerly resident in Brazil, and requested 

 him to note the points of similarity between it and the pampero. 

 The following is a copy of his reply which is based, as will be seen, 

 partly on personal observation and partly on information gathered 

 by him from sources on which he places reliance : 



"In answer to your letter of 14th of April, I am afraid I can 

 aftbrd you very little information on the subject of the South 

 American pamperos from personal observation. They never 

 reached, on the coast, as far north as Rio de Janeiro which was 

 my usual place of residence, but I twice experienced their violence 

 when on my exploring expedition across Brazil in 1872-3. The 

 first time was in September, 1872, when we were camped on the 

 banks of the Paraguay River as far north as 20 south. On the 

 particular occasion we were awakened in the night by a roaring 

 sound which rapidly drew nearer and burst upon us overturning 

 tents and everything else that offered much resistance without 

 being stable. My hammock was slung to a branch of a big tree, 

 which was torn off, but did me no damage as I had turned out to 

 save the tents. It had all blown over by the morning. On the 

 second occasion, in October, 1873, I was surveying the Alto 

 Parana River, about 21 south, when my Indians noticed the 

 clouds gathering in south, and made at once for the lee of the 

 islands in their canoes. The river at this part is due north and 

 south for many miles, and from one to four miles wide, and as the 

 wind came from due south it beat up a great sea, the waves being 

 quite three feet from crest to bottom. I sailed up before it, and 

 was able to go up rapids that, on ordinary occasions could only 

 be negotiated by poling and ropes. It did not last long, and on 

 both these occasions was, I imagine, a more violent effort than 



