SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
41 
that is loaded with vapor, and moving along with great 
velocity. 
The approach of winter is firft obferved by the fouth-eaft 
winds becoming lefs frequent, lefs violent, and blowing clear, 
or without the fleecy cloud upon the mountain. Dews then 
begin to fall very heavy, and thick fogs hang in the mornings 
about the hills. The north-weft winds feel raw and cold, and 
increafe at length to a ftorm, with heavy rain, thunder, and 
lightning, continuing generally for two or three days. When 
the weather brightens up, the mountains on the continent 
appear with their tops buried in fnow : the Table has alfo a 
fprinkling of fnow or hail about the fummit. At fuch times 
the thermometer, about fun-rife, ftands in the town at 40°, and 
will probably afcend, towards the middle of the day, to 70°, 
making a variation in temperature of 30 degrees in the courfe 
of five or fix hours. The general ftandard, however, for the 
three winter months may be reckoned from 50° at fun-rife to 
60° at noon ; and in the very middle of fummer it varies from 
70° to 90°, but generally refts for days together at 83° or 84°. 
It has been known to exceed 100'' in Cape Town ; but inftances 
of fo high a degree of temperature have been very rare. The 
heat of fummer is feldom oppreflive. The mornings are fome- 
times clofe and fultry, but the nights are always cool. The 
fouth-eaft breeze ufually fprings up towards the middle of the 
day, and dies away in the evening. When thefe winds blow 
with violence, and the cloud appears on the mountain, their 
greateft ftrength is when the fun has paffed the meridian 
about 30 degrees, and they continue in fqualls till mid- 
G night. 
