J 74 Meteorology of Melbourne. 



of the climate or otherwise, of course depends on the will of 

 private proprietors, and all that can be done in this particular, 

 appears to consist in the erection of model dwellings, to show 

 in what manner increased comfort may be obtained, without 

 great increase of cost. But in the laying out of townships, 

 and the planning of streets, it appears to me that the aspect, 

 with reference to prevailing winds, ought to be taken into con- 

 sideration, and that if this were duly regarded, the nuisance 

 of dust might in a great measure be avoided. The streets 

 and apppoaches might, to a certain extent, be so laid out as to 

 direct the dust, by the shortest channels, off the town alto- 

 gether. And this, in a district where the prevailing strong 

 winds have so constant a character, would not, as I conceive, ■ 

 be attended with any particular difficulty. 



Before bringing this paper to a close, I must briefly advert 

 to the continued droughts to which some, at least, of the 

 extra-tropical portions, of the continent of Australia are 

 occasionally liable. In the Sydney district a drought has 

 been known to continvie for eighteen months together. The 

 partial failure of the crops of last season in South Austraha, 

 appears to be attributable principally to the unusual deficiency 

 of rain during the winter months of May, June, and J uly.^ Van 

 Diemen's Land, notwithstanding its insular position, is not 

 exempt from droughts. I am aware that I am now approach- 

 ing the mysteries of meteorology : and it is not my intention 

 to offer any bold hypothesis upon a subject which, in the 

 present state of our knowledge, is undoubtedly inexphcable. 

 It has by some writers been suggested, that these droughts 

 are periodical, by which I understand that they should be 

 liable to recur at stated intervals. I am not aware of any 

 sufficient foundation either in theory, or in fact and observa- 

 tion, for such an opinion. There is no particular conjunction 

 of the sun, moon, or planets, which could, upon any known 

 principle, give rise to a drought. I know of no reason why 

 we may not have a drought next year or the year after, 

 without reference to the date of the last occurrence of such 

 a calamity. 



The droughts of Australia appear to be no more pe- 

 riodical than the tempests which, from time to time, and, for- 

 tunately at distant intervals, sweep the Enghsh and other 

 coasts; and we ought at once to disabuse ourselves of this 



impression. . p 1.0 



According to the principles proposed m a former part ot 

 this paper, the fall of rain will mainly depend upon the 

 frequency and the extent of the alternations of the hot 



