300 VEGETATION AFFECTS CLIMATE. 



to the end of October, the weather is rainy, and that 

 during the N.W. monsoon, which brings rain to the 

 north coast of Australia, the south coast of New 

 Guinea may have its dry season. Australia, on the 

 contrary, has a remarkably dry climate, and though 

 there are frequent showers during the S.E. monsoon 

 on the margin of the north-east coast and about 

 Cape York, where the trade wind first strikes upon 

 the land, it is probable that in the interior (as it is 

 certain that on the north coast about Port Essing- 

 ton) no rain falls during the greater part of the 

 year, and heavy showers only during the remainder. 

 Not only, however, is this variation of climate not 

 sufficient to account for the utter difference in the 

 vegetation of the two countries, Australia and 

 New Guinea ; but I much question whether the 

 difference in the climate be not in great part 

 the result of that in the vegetation. The thick 

 dank woods and jungles of New Guinea completely 

 protect the soil from the sun, the broad close 

 leaves shelter even the stems of the trees, and all 

 tend to produce a coolness favourable to the precipi- 

 tation of moisture from the damp trade wind. The 

 open and scattered woodlands of Australia, on the 

 contrary, offer no shelter to the ground from the rays 

 of the sun. The small, thinly-disseminated leaves 

 of these evergreen trees, instead of giving shade, be- 

 come themselves as hot and parched as the rocks 

 and sands beneath them. The ragged strips of dry 

 and resinous bark hanging from the trunks of all the 

 trees, are like tinder, ever ready to catch fire with a 



