188 
Scientific Intelligence. 
(8 A. M.) ; at the spring 1200 feet from the base, it stood at 
48°, and in the spring at 4l°.5. At the second spring, elevated 
about 2000 feet, the temperature of the air was 47°, of the wa- 
ter 38° ; and the temperature of the third spring 36°, while that 
of the surrounding air was 46°. 
16. Great Heat at New South Wales . — Dr Winterbottom 
informs us, that a particular friend, and a very careful observer, 
saw the thermometer rise, at New South Wales, to 112°, and 
continue so nearly a week The effects of this heat upon the 
human body were extremely distressing, producing extreme 
languor, and incapability of exertion. A gentleman remarkably 
robust and active, out of bravado, to show that he could do 
what not a man in the colony dared to attempt, took his gun, 
and went out in pursuit of game ; but he was very soon obli- 
ged to return, and found some difficulty in doing so. They 
both described this degree of heat to be so excessive, as to give 
them a conviction of not being able to support a temperature of 
only a few degrees higher. The effects of this heat upon ani- 
mals was such, that the parroquets dropped down dead in the 
open air. In Africa, where Dr W. resided four years, he once 
observed the thermometer stand at 103° in the shade, and pla- 
ced upon the ground (speaking from memory) at 138°. In the 
Soosoo Country, to the N. of Sierra Leone, at a considerable 
distance inland, he walked one day about twenty miles, when the 
thermometer, observed by Dr Afzelius, at present Professor of 
Botany at Upsal, stood at 99J° in the shade ; which degree of 
heat was by no means disagreeable, nor even suspected to be so 
great by at least 10°, owing to a pleasant breeze which met him. 
We judge very inaccurately of heat by our feelings, and are 
more affected by a sudden diminution of 10° of heat than by a 
much greater increase. The lowest degree of heat Dr W. ever 
witnessed in Africa was about half an hour before sun-rise, when 
the mercury stood at 68°, and to the feelings, the cold resembled 
* We strongly suspect some error in this observation. It stood at 96° at Ho- 
bart Town on the 3d February 1822, but never rose above 90° during the rest of 
the year. At Macquarrie Harbour the maximum was 94° on the 1st January 
1823 ; and during Oxley’s expedition, the highest seems to have been 81°, 
