Volume II Part 45 (2/2)
Between the parallels of 40 and 45 degrees theywith a heavy sea; but between 45 and 50 degrees the weather is enerally the finest of the summer months, the winds are mostly moderate, and the weather ales that were experienced by the Beagle in November 1837, between the islands of St Paul and Amsterdam and Swan River, will serve to show the different effects upon the baro from North-West and the other from South-East
On Noveradually rising for some days previous to that, and the wind had been fresh between north and west After 8 PM on the 1st, thefroht it blew a heavy gale, and the baro of the 3rd the wind veered to the ard, and the an to rise, the weather also becaradually fine
On the 8th of the same month, the barometer was 3005 at 8 PM with fine weather, wind South-East by East, it then commenced to fall, and at 8 PM on the 9th was 2980, and blowing a heavy gale at South-East, which continued all night, and until 8 PM on the 10th, at which tian to rise
What a different effect these gales had on the baro the mercury to fall nearly 6-tenths, whereas, the last, from South-East only lowered it 2-tenths, and 5-hundredths; they were of equal strength and duration, and both accompanied by heavy rain
ON THE NORTH-WEST COAST OF AUSTRALIA
The great extent of the North-West coast of Australia, lying as it does between the parallels of 12 and 22 degrees of south latitude, no doubt subjects it to a variety of winds and weather, that is not experienced on the north coast; although, on that part of it north of the parallel of 15 degrees, there is probably much similarity
As I cannot speak with certainty of the winds and weather that prevail on this extent of coast, at all seasons of the year, the following remarks will be confined to such portions of it as were visited by the Beagle, and will apply only to the particular seasons in which she was employed there
To the eastward of the itude, and at a short distance froular; but the easterly rees latitude
Between Clarence Straits and Ca the months of Septe the day is a seabreeze between North-West and West In September, and until the middle of October, we found the wind as follows: About sunrise, a light breeze sprang up froradually drew to the northward towards the middle of the day, in the afternoon, a seabreeze froht towards sunset, but freshening again soon after that, and blowing a moderate and pleasant breeze between North-West and South-West all night
During the latter part of the period (November and December) the winds werefrohout the twenty-four hours, butthe day; at full and change of the er than at other times, and upon one or two occasions, at the tiht breeze fro the month of November, the shi+p was at anchor, twelve miles within the entrance to Victoria River, and sixty-five from Point Pearce, on the sea coast For the first three weeks of this tiular fro in about noon, and lasting the greater part of the night; in the ht winds from the northward
In the last week of this month the weather was very unsettled and squally, with , and rain, the wind mostly between South-East and North-East; after which, the westerly breezes set in again, and continued until we left the coast in thethe whole of this period the westerly winds did not appear to come from any distance, but to be merely local seabreezes, as they did not cause any sea upon the coast, nor did they reach far in shore; as we frequently observed s perpendicularly, or influenced by a light south-easterly wind, and this at ti From this it would appear, that the westerly monsoon had not reached so far to the southward, nor did we find, after sailing from Point Pearce, that the winds were at all steady from the ard, until we had reached to the northward of Cape Londonderry, which is in latitude 13 degrees 45 minutes South To the northward of this, the winds were fro the day to the southward of that point--so to the northward of west, but generally speaking, we found the wind to the southward of west, and the current running from half a mile to a mile an hour to the North or North-North-East
The currents between New Holland and Ti the easterly monsoon--and in the opposite direction with the westerly; but they seee of wind--as on the 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd of Deceht) we experienced light, variable winds, between South-East and East-North-East--during which period the current ran to the ard--at times, a knot an hour We were then between the parallels of 11 1/2 and 13 degrees, south of which we experienced winds between South-South-West and West until ere to the southward of the North-West Cape, when they became more southerly, and at tihout all this period, the weather was fine, and different fro the westerly monsoon
All that part of the North-West coast of New Holland, between the North-West Cape, and Cape Londonderry, appears to be verythe easterly th of which is not felt to the southward of 13 or 14 degrees of south latitude
During the westerly ales from the North-West at times blow upon the coast, but they do not appear to be frequent The strongest winds at this season, are the heavy squalls between East-South-East and North-East (and which may with propriety be ter duration, rarely lasting over two hours They give a of a heavy bank of clouds between North-East and South-East, andin that quarter Appearances such as these frequently precede the squall soradually nearer (to the ard) The baro only acted upon by the iht, or between sunset and sunrise
During the latter part of the westerly monsoon, on that part of the coast between Cape Villaret and Point Se found the weather remarkably fine, with the exception of an occasional short, but severe squall, froenerally a moderate seabreeze between North-West and South-West co soht--on which occasions it blew strongest during the night); during the other part of the twenty-four hours the as light fro experienced siust
It was not until we had reached Point Swan, in latitude 16 degrees 20 minutes South that we experienced any of the bad weather that is usually rees to the northward; it commenced in the last week of January, and continued until thewhich period, there were soales from the ard, between North-West and South-West accoh there was a good deal of dirty weather, it was by no means constant, as there were occasional intervals of fine weather, with moderate westerly winds This was the only bad weather on this part of the coast, during the season, that could be said to be caused by the westerly monsoon, if we except the East-South-East squalls, that do not occur in the easterly monsoon
While this weather lasted, the easterly squalls were quite suspended, and the heavy bank of clouds that had generally been noticed in the South-East had dispersed for the ti westerly winds had ceased, the weather was generally fine, and the wind mostly from some western point; there were occasional showers, and the clouds in the eastern horizon resu some hard squalls, and rain fro the tiales are looked for in most parts of the world) there were two or three days of squally, unsettled weather, with rain, that seemed to terminate the season of the westerly monsoon After the 1st of April, the weather was invariably fine, and the easterly squalls had ceased to trouble us; land and seabreezes becaular, and the easterly est breezes noere froht near the land
It does not appear that the westerly ularity, to the southward of the 13th degree of south latitude; although for sorees south of that, the weather is influenced by it, and winds between West-North-West and South-West will be experienced, and from the appearances on ales at times fro the easterly monsoon, the weather is fine on the North-West coast, particularly in the ust; this is undoubtedly the best tiular, and the tee of the thermometer on that part of the coast, between the North-West Cape, and thethe above-rees in the ht, on board the shi+p, and the general course of the wind as follows, viz
About sunrise, or sos up between South and South-South-East and draws to the eastward as the sun rises, rapidly increasing in strength, and between 8 and 11 AM often blows a fiery breeze; towards noon it moderates, and rarely lasts until 2 PM, after which there is a light breeze frohts are ht breeze froe of the er than at other times; dews at times very copious