CHAPTER XIV 



THE SWAN RIVER DISTRICT 



A SERIES of flat, open, arid plains, with no mountains 

 and but few hills of noticeable elevation, one would expect 

 to find the western side of Australia much warmer than 

 similar latitudes of the eastern division. The reverse of 

 this is, however, the case, but there are great variations 

 of temperature. 



I reached Swan River by packet-boat in December 

 1889. This period of the year is almost midsummer 

 there and the heat is considerable, but certainly not as 

 hot as the average at Sydney, though the latitude of 

 the two places is nearly the same. 



I found that during the summer the prevailing winds 

 at Swan River (the district round Perth) were southerly 

 and mostly south-easterly. When the wind shifted to 

 south-west, there was apt to be a spell of chilly weather, 

 the breeze suddenly chopping round to all points of the 

 compass within a period of twenty-four hours. Sometimes 

 there would be showers of rain accompanying this change, 

 and as the winter drew on these showers became frequent 

 and often heavy, especially near the coast, with exceed- 

 ingly boisterous winds which chilled one to the bones, 

 owing probably to the suddenness with which they came 

 on. 



Acting on the advice of old settlers, I waited until 

 the so-called winter season before making an intended 

 journey into the interior of the country, for the western 

 side stands next to the head of the Great Bight for 

 deficiency of water. And ultimately I found that the 



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