Winds and currents .] TERRA AUSTRALIS. 283 
a division, the part beyond the tropic of Capricorn being placed under 
different, and almost opposite circumstances, to that within, or close 
to it. 
From Cape Howe, where the South Coast terminates and the 
East commences, to Sandy Cape, within a degree of the tropic, the 
south-east trade most generally prevails in the summer season, from 
the beginning of October to the end of April ; and produces sea and 
land breezes near the shore, with fine weather. There are however 
many occasional intermissions, especially in the southern parts, 
wherein gales from South or S. W.,and strong breezes between North 
and N. E., bring heavy rain, with thunder and lightning; but these 
are usually of short duration. A sultry land wind from the N. W. 
in the summer, is almost certainly followed by a sudden gust from 
between S. E. and S. S. W., against which a ship near the coast 
should be particularly guarded; I have seen the thermometer de- 
scend at Port Jackson, on one of these occasions, from 100 to 6 /(, in 
less than half an hour. 
In the winter season, from May to September, the western 
winds are most prevalent, and generally accompanied with fine 
weather; the gales then blow from the eastward, between north-east 
and south, and bring rain with them ; indeed there is no settled 
weather in the winter, with any winds from the sea, and even between 
north-west and north there is frequent rain, though the wind be 
usually light in those quarters. It is however to be understood, that 
the sea and land breezes in the summer are more regular near the 
tropic; and that the winter winds partake more of the south-east 
trade than they do from latitude 30° to Cape Howe. 
It is a fact difficult to be reconciled, that whilst the most pre- 
vailing winds blow from S. E. in summer, and S. W. in winter, upon 
this extra-tropical part of the East Coast, the current should almost 
constantly set to the south ; at a rate which sometimes reaches two 
miles an hour. Its greatest strength is exerted near to the points 
which project most beyond the general line of the coast ; but the 
