APPENDIX. 531 



fine weather are shorter ; this weather lasts until October, and 

 at times throughout that month. 



During the intervals of fine weather the climate is delight- 

 ful, and the country has a fresh and pleasing appearance ; land 

 and sea breezes are as regular as in summer, with the excep- 

 tion, that the latter are much more moderate. 



The N. W. gales that occasionally occur during the winter 

 months, on the southern parts of the west coast of Australia, 

 are probably felt as far north as Shark's Bay. They blow 

 with great violence, and are accompanied by dark, gloomy 

 weather, and rain. It is then unsafe to be near the land— as 

 the gale that commences at N. N. E., invariably veers to the 

 westward, making a lee shore of the whole line of coast, and 

 between W. N. W. and W. S. W. blows the hardest. 



Fortunately these gales give ample warning; the barometer 

 always foretells their approach, and generally begins to fall 

 three or four days before the commencement of the gale — be- 

 sides which, there are other never-failing indications of a 

 northerly wind, such as, the change of the current, which, 

 (owing to the prevailing southerly winds.) usually sets to the 

 northward, but runs strong to the southward during northerly 

 winds — frequently preceding them, and giving more timely 

 notice than the barometer. 



A rising of the water is likewise a certain prognostic 'of a 

 northerly wind ; and has been invariably noticed, at Swan 

 River, to precede all gales from that quarter — this, of course, 

 can only be observed while at anchor on the coast. 



Another, and ^^erhaps equally certain sign of approaching 

 bad weather, during the winter season, (and which is almost 

 certain to be from the northward,) is the strength of the N.E. 

 winds — as it has been observed, that when the land winds 

 blow strong, particularly from the N.E. and the sea breezes 

 are light, with a falling barometer, a gale from the northward 

 will follow. Perhaps these latter remarks, are only applicable 

 to that distance from the shore, where a ship will be within 

 the influence of the land and sea breezes ; but as I conceive 

 2 M 2 



