184 APPENDIX. 



winds are prevalent, almost always. They are frequently strong in 

 the afternoon, and sometimes during a part of the night. Towards 

 morning, and during the early part of the day, moderate winds, 

 light breezes, or calms, are to be expected. 



Near the land, it is generally calm at night, excepting about once 

 or twice in a month, when the wind blows strongly from the south- 

 ward until about midnight. Occasional northerly winds are expe- 

 rienced, it is true, duriag the summer ; but they are usually so mode- 

 rate, during that season, that they pass almost unheeded. 



About the end of March, the ' northers,' as they are called, begin 

 to remind one that fogs, heavy and frequent rains, thick gloomy 

 weather, and strong winds, often trouble the southern coasts of 

 ChUe. 



During a part of March, and throughout April, May, and June, 

 foggy weather is frequent ; and although it is not often that a thick 

 fog lasts longer than a few hours, a day, even two days, of continued 

 thick fog, is not an unknown occiu-rence. 



With northerly and north-west winds the sky is overcast, the 

 weather unsettled, damp, and disagreeable. These winds are always 

 accompanied by clouds, and usually by thick rainy weather. From 

 the north-west the wind in general shifts to the south-west, and 

 thence to the southward. Sometimes it flies round in a violent 

 squall, accompanied by rain, thunder, and lightning. At other times 

 it draws gradually round. Directly the wind is southward of west, 

 the clouds begin to disperse, and as a steady southerly wind ap- 

 proaches, the sky becomes clear and the weather healthily pleasant. 



A turn of fresh southerly wind is usually followed by a moderate 

 breeze from the south-east, with very fine weather. Light variable 

 breezes foUow, clouds gradually overspread the sky, and another 

 round turn is generally begun by light or moderate north-easterly 

 breezes, with cloudy weather, and often rain. 



This is the general order of change. When the vrind shifts against 

 this order, or backs round, bad weather with strong wind may be 

 expected. 



Lightning is always a sign of bad weather. It accompanies or pre- 

 cedes a change for the worse ; which, howesv^er, is usually a prelude to 

 clearing up. Squalls are rare, excepting at the shift from north-west 

 to south-west, already mentioned. From the westward (south-west 

 by west to north-west by west) the wind does not usually, if ever. 



