AN ESSAY ON SOUTHERLY BURSTERS. 159 



from the vast heated areas of the Australian interior is at least 

 one of the agencies from which the burster has its origin. The 

 difference between the two sets of circumstances is that, in South 

 America, the cause and effect act on the same region, and there- 

 fore one follows the other with no appreciable interval, while in 

 Australia the seat of the effect is removed by something like one 

 thousand miles from that of the cause, and consequently the con- 

 nection is more difficult to trace. 



Winter northers of Texas are a somewhat similar experience. 

 The following is a short extract: — "The northers prevail from 

 November to March, and commence with thermometer at 80° or 

 85°. A calm ensues on the coast ; black clouds roll up from the 

 north ; the wind is heard several minutes before it is felt ; the 

 thermometers begin to fall ; the cold northers burst upon the 

 people bringing the thermometers down to 28° and sometimes even 

 to 25°, men and cattle being killed from the severe cold. This is 

 the only description I have come across of similar changes in the 

 northern hemisphere." 55 ' 



SIMILARITY OF WEATHER ON EAST AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AMERICA. 



Before finally leaving the subject of the pampero, I may mention 

 that many old sailing ship captains recognise numerous points of 

 similarity between the southerly bursts upon the east coast of 

 South America and those upon the east coast of Australia, and 

 make the same preparations to meet either case. 



ADMIRAL FITZROY AND OTHERS ON THE PAMPERO AND BRICKFIELDER. 



Perhaps the earliest reference to the pampero appears in the 

 "Weather Book" of Admiral Fitzroy, pp. 150 and 151. In 

 chapter xxl., he gives thrilling accounts of two occasions when 

 his vessel was struck by it and nearly foundered. The same 

 author, in the same book, speaks of the bricktielder (southerly 

 burster) of New South Wales, page 263. A more exhaustive 

 account of the pampero in its strictly scientific aspect, appears in 

 " Weather," by the Hon. Ralph Abercromby, page 263, and a 



* Physical Geography of the Sea by Maury, pp. 93-94. 



