NEW SOUTH WALES. 175 



liarity of the vegetation makes the dryness apparent in other ways. 

 From all accounts, New South Wales is subject to as great atmo- 

 spheric vicissitudes, as the middle United States. For a series of 

 years, droughts will occur, which in turn give place to years of 

 successive floods, and these prevail to an extent that can hardly be 

 credited, were it not that the account has been received from good 

 authority. As a striking instance of it, Oxley, in his exploring 

 journeys into the interior, in 1817, found the country every where 

 overflowed, so as to prevent him from proceeding; while Mitchell, 

 in 1835, in the same districts, was continually in danger of perishing 

 from thirst. The latter states that he found unios (or fresh-water 

 mussels) sticking in the banks of rivers and ponds above the level of 

 the water ; and also dead trees and saplings in similar situations. 



This alternate change must exert a great influence on the produc- 

 tions of the soil ; the rivers ceasing to flow, and their beds becoming 

 as it were dry, with the exception of the pools heretofore spoken of, 

 must likewise have an influence. The prevailing westerly winds 

 sweep with force over the whole country, blighting all they touch. 

 The effect of these hot winds is remarkable, for they will in a few 

 hours entirely destroy the crops, by extracting all the moisture from 

 the grain, even after it is formed, and almost ready for harvest ; and 

 the only portion that is left is that which has been sheltered by trees, 

 hedges, or fences. They thus destroy the prospect of the husband- 

 man when his crops are ready for the sickle. It is thought, and I 

 should imagine with reason, that were the Blue Mountains a more 

 lofty range, this would not be the case, as they would have a tendency 

 to continue the supplies to the streams throughout the year, by the 

 condensation of the vapour from the sea. 



These hot winds come from the direction of the Blue Mountains, 

 and, what seems remarkable, are not felt on the other side of the 

 mountains, or in their immediate vicinity. Yet the extent between 

 the coast and the mountains is not sufficient to produce these winds, 

 being only forty-five miles; and if they proceed from the interior, 

 they must pass over those mountains, an elevation in some places of 

 three thousand four hundred feet. Their great destructiveness is 

 undoubtedly caused by their capacity for moisture, although few 

 observations have as yet (as far as I was able to obtain information) 

 been made upon them, except in relation to the blight they occasion. 

 It has been found that fields which have a line of woods on the side 

 whence they blow, escape injury. The harvest immediately on the 

 line of the coast does not suffer so much, being exempted in part from 

 their withering influence by the moisture that is imbibed from the sea. 



