OUTBURST OF SPRINGS IN TIME OF DROUGHT. 201 
OUTBURST OF SPRINGS IN TIME OF DROUGHT. 
By W. E. Axssott, Wingen. 
[Read before the Royal Society of N. S. Wales, September 1, 1897.] 
Tux outburst of springs, and, as a consequence, the increased flow 
of water in creeks and rivers without apparent cause, just at the 
climax of a long continued and widespread drought, has occasioned 
a good deal of interest in New South Wales; and many theories 
have been offered in explanation through the press. As the 
phenomena were very pronounced on my own property at 
Wingen in May, up to which time there had been a rainfall of 
only about four inches, I carefully noted what was taking place, 
with the object of arriving at the immediate cause of the outburst, 
hoping by this means to be in a position to say whether it is or is 
not an indication of the termination of drought conditions in the 
area affected. I do not propose to deal with all the theories 
offered in explanation, but will endeavour to clear the ground 
by getting rid of those, which, from the position of the men 
by whom they have been put forward, or from other causes, 
have been most widely accepted; and which yet do not accord 
with the facts, as they have come under my own observation, both 
now and in former droughts, and which are well known to many 
People long engaged in pastoral pursuits in Australia, pursuits 
in which the occurrence of drought is a factor of prime importance. 
First we have the explanation offered by Mr. Clement Wragge 
of Queensland, that the recent outburst of springs is a result of 
the late earthquake disturbances, having their centre in South 
Australia. This I think is untenable, because we who have had 
to suffer many droughts by which large pecuniary interests were 
affected, know that the increased flow of springs and creeks at 
Some stage of a general widespread drought is almost, if not quite 
invariable, while earthquakes in drought or at any other time are 
exceptional. That this fact was probably unknown to Mr. Wragge 
