38 AUSTRALIAN WEATHER. 



SIMILARITY OF WEATHER ON EAST AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AMERICA. 



Before finally leaving the subject of the Pampero, I may mention 

 that many old sailing ship captains recognise numerous points of 

 similarity between the southerly bursts upon the east coast of 

 South America and those upon the east coast of Australia, and 

 make the same preparations to meet either case. 



ADMIRAL FITZROY AND OTHERS ON THE PAMPERO AND BRICKFIELDER. 



Perhaps the earliest reference to the pampero appears in the 

 "Weather Book" of Admiral Fitzroy, pp. 150 and 151. In 

 chapter xxi., he gives thrilling accounts of two occasions when 

 his vessel was struck by it and nearly foundered. The same 

 author, in the same book, speaks of the brickfielder (southerly 

 burster) of New South Wales, page 263. A more exhaustive 

 account of the pampero in its strictly scientific aspect, appears in 

 " Weather," by the Hon. Ralph Abercromby, page 263, and a 

 description will be found in the Scottish Meteorological Journal, 

 Vol. v., No. lx., p. 335. 



A DESCRIPTION OF A BURSTER WRITTEN EIGHTEEN YEARS SINCE. 



The following description of a southerly burster is taken from 

 " The Climate of New South Wales," by Mr. H. C. Russell, B.A., 

 The passage in question contains the best description of it that I 

 have met with, and it is the more interesting as being one of the 

 first accounts published by any scientific observer of this interest- 

 ing phenomenon. It is as follows : " If in fine north-east hot 

 weather the barometer falls fast in the forenoon, a southerly wind 

 (burster) may be expected before night ; if the day is very hot 

 the change will come sooner ; and if the barometer is falling very 

 fast and clouds be seen in the west, a thunderstorm may be 

 expected in the afternoon. Sometimes the thunderstorm bursts 

 first, and the wind sets in from south afterwards ; if only the storm 

 comes it will probably be hot again next day. 



"Southerly bursters are generally to be expected from November 

 to the end of February ; they are always attended with strong 

 electrical excitement, a stream of sparks being sometimes produced 



