THE CLIMATE OF MACKAY. 23 
range and isolated mounts, and accordingly as easterly or westerly 
winds prevail so does the temperature rise and fall. Often when 
the rains are heavy on the coast below the range, over the range 
there is no fall at all; and whilst the country over the range is 
fully exposed to the westerly winds, Mackay only feels them when 
they blow strongly (chiefly at night); again, the broken nature of 
the country on the north side of the river causes a wide difference 
in the annual amount of the rainfalls there (Tables X and XI). 
_At the present moment there are eight rain-gauges in the 
district, as follows: at Homebush, the Alexandra, the Hollow, 
Nebo Telegraph Station, St. Helen’s (started this year), Bloomsbury 
a Station, the Cedars, and at the Telegraph Station in 
wn. 
until April, and occasionally into May. In June and July there 
is usually a small amount of rain ; the fall in the latter month last 
year (1880) was exceptional, being 8°55 in. at the Alexandra 
an . 
rainy season on a uring the last three years rain, 
season has been a month or more la e greatest rainfall 
recorded in twenty-four at of th ge SS 
‘In December, 1874, there occurred at Foulden Plantation (about 
4 miles from town on the north side of the river) an extraordinary 
local fall of rain, 15 inches falling in twenty-four hours :— 
On December 4, at 9 a.m., 0°70 inches were recorded. | : 
” ”» 4,at6p.m., 9°50  ,, * 9 15 inches in twenty- 
” ” 5, at 9am., 550 ,, > = four hours. 
9 ” 6, at 9 a.™M., 0°70 eee 2? 
At Alexandra, at the same time, the fall was as follows ee 
On December 4, at 8 a.m., 2°70 inches were recorded. 
» i 5, at 8 a.m., 6°83 5 
> ” 6, at 8 a.m,, 0-22 ” ” ” 
During this time it rained throughout the district, but only locally 
heavily at Foulden, where at the back the creek was as swollen as 
in flood-times, although the river only rose slightly (Rainfall tables 
1, VII, IX, X, XI). 
