Meteorological Observations at Bendigo. 



89 



prcyalent in tlic winter season, which generally begins in 

 May and ends with October. The days and nights are often 

 very cold ; sometimes^ however^ even in the winter season, I 

 have experienced a warm calm, day, followed by a clear starry 

 night, 



10. Of shooting stars or aerolites I have seen but fcAV^ 

 and during the months of August and November, which it is 

 well known are those in which they arc most numerous, I 

 did not observe a single one, although I looked for them on 

 many nights. 



11. The Zodiacal light appeared often so luminous as to 

 be almost equal in brilliancy to that observed within the 

 tropics. 



12. At Bendigo I never observed any Aurora Australis; 

 but in Tasmania, where this beautiful phenomenon is frequent, 

 I have witnessed most brilliant displays. 



13. One of the most striking peculiarities of Bendigo 

 consists in the sudden and violent currents of wind 

 from the north-west ; these are of frequent occurrence, and 

 of short duration. I will here avail myself of a few lines 

 from my diary, descriptive of this remarkable phenomenon- 



" Night. At a great distance, apparently of several 

 miles, in a north-westerly direction, a peculiar rushing noise 

 is heard, M^iich approaches closer and closer, becomes more 

 distinct, till at length it grows into the boisterous tumult of a 

 hurricane. The inmates of the tents are alarmed, and cry out 

 the well-known seaman^s call, stand by the royal halyards.^' 

 It is a heavy squall approaching, and the warning voice serves 

 to the inhabitants of the gullies as a hint to secure their 

 tents against the violence of the approaching tempest. A 

 few minutes later and we find ourselves in the midst of the 

 storm; the air is filled with dust, intermixed with myriads 

 of burning sparks, lifted from the numerous fire-places. 

 The hurricane is so violent that it destroys and carries 

 away tents, shakes substantial buildings, bends and breaks 

 trees; and, after this storm of a most violent nature, a 

 heavy shower follows, reminding one of an approaching 

 deluge, and in a few minutes everything is again clear and 

 calm. The dark cloud, charged with destruction, and which 

 has imparted terror to every living being, is now to be seen 

 far away on the horizon, wearing towards the south-east, 

 and only a roaring noise is to be heard, something like as 

 the receding sounds of the Niagara Falls, becoming fainter 

 and fainter, until at a vast distance it dies away.'' 

 I 



