532 APPENDIX. 



the limit of that distance to be full 30 miles off shore, a 

 notice of such a symptom of approaching bad weather, may 

 not be altogether useless. I am of opinion, that land winds 

 are at times felt as far off shore as the edge of soundings, 

 which is not less than 30 miles, and generally between that 

 and 40. 



(In latitude 30° 25' S. and 65 miles from the land, sound- 

 ings were got from the Beagle, with 185 fathoms of line, upon 

 a coral bottom. Between Swan River and Houtman's Abrol- 

 hos, soundings may be had at a greater distance from the 

 land, than off any other part of the west coast.) 



The N.W. gales are of longer duration, in the latitude of 

 Swan River, and south of that, than they are to the northward ; 

 they do not appear to be entirely confined to the winter 

 months, as I am told that a very heavy one was experienced 

 at Swan River, early in March, 1832, and on the 13th Decem- 

 ber, 1839, the Beagle experienced a strong breeze from the 

 northward, while at anchor in Gage Road, in consequence 

 of which, it was considered necessary to let go an extra 

 anchor. 



As it may be satisfactory to know more particularly the 

 progress of these gales, and the effect they have upon the 

 barometer and sympiesometer, I give the details of two that 

 were experienced in H. M. S. Beagle, one at Swan River, 

 in the beginning of June 1838, the other at Houtman's 

 Abrolhos, in the beginning of May 1840 ; they may be taken 

 as fair criterions of the strength and duration of these gales, 

 the latter having been experienced, probably, within 5" of their 

 northern limit, and the former near the southern extreme of 

 the west coast. 



As our barometer had been broken in March 1838, the 

 register of a sympiesometer will be given in describing the 

 gale of June in that year ; but a? this instrument had been 

 found, (by comparison with the barometer) to act exceedingly 

 well, it will be sufficient for our purpose ; the geJieral use of 

 a marine barometer being merely that of a weather glass, 



