26 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



withstand its force : all sought their dwellings, and had to shut 

 doors and windows, and remain for hours confined to their 

 houses. The effect of such intense and unparalleled heat was 

 demonstrated by the death of calves, rabbits, birds, etc. The 

 trees were all blasted ; and the fruit, such as pears and apples, 

 literally roasted on the trees ere they fell to the ground, and 

 the same as if they had been cast on live coals. But, strange to 

 say, they were only burned on one side — the direction whence 

 came the wind. All kinds of metal became so heated, that for 

 hours nothing of the kind could be touched with the naked 

 hands. The thermometer rose to nearly fever-heat — in the 

 shade. Xear an open door, and during the prevalence of this 

 properly-called sirocco, the streets were filled with impene- 

 trable clouds of fine dust, or pulverized clay. Speculation has 

 been rife since to ascertain the cause of such a terrible phe- 

 nomenon ; but, though we have heard of many plausible theo- 

 ries thereon, we have not been fully convinced yet : however 

 that might be, we see its terrible effects all around us, in 

 blighted trees, ruined gardens, blasted fruit, and almost a gen- 

 eral destruction of the vegetable kingdom here. We hope we 

 will never see the like again." 



A correspondent of a San Francisco paper wrote thus : "At 

 one o'clock in the afternoon of the 17th instant, a burning wind 

 came upon us from the northwest, and smote us with terror. 

 At two o'clock, the thermometer exposed to this wind rose to 

 133° of Fahrenheit; at five o'clock, it had fallen to 122° ; and 

 at seven o'clock, it stood at 77°, where it had been in the 

 morning. During the whole time of this visitation, every one 

 stayed in the house, taking good care to keep doors and win- 

 dows closed. A fisherman who was out at sea came back with 

 his arms all blistered. Many calves, rabbits, and birds, died 

 of suffocation. The greatest losses are among the vegetables. 

 The fruit-trees are all burned ; the pears and apples have been 

 literally cooked." 



No similar case is mentioned in history or tradition, nor is 

 there an} explanation of this. 



