His Excellency Governor Hutt had done a great deal for the improvement of the natives; the schools established for their instruction work exceedingly well; and I am happy to see that a most important step towards civilizing them has since been made, a white having taken a native woman as his wife. This may be regarded as in a great measure the result of the notice bestowed on them.
No opportunity occurred during our stay of adding to the observations I had previously made for the longitude of Fremantle (Scott's Jetty); which, however, is the only part of the continent absolutely determined during the Beagle's voyage. It is considered to be in longitude 115 degrees 47 minutes 50 seconds East.
Before leaving we received a letter of thanks from his Excellency and the members of the Legislative Council for the services we had rendered the colony. My friend Lieutenant Roe presented me, also, with two specimens of the Spined Lizard Moloch horridus, which I intended to present to Her Majesty; but, unfortunately, I did not succeed in bringing either of them alive to England; one, however, lived beyond the Western Islands.
DEPARTURE FROM WESTERN AUSTRALIA.
We left Swan River on the evening of the 6th of May, 1843, running out with a moderate North-East breeze. Everything seemed auspicious. The water was smooth, and the sails, as they slept in the breeze, echoed back the sounds of the well-known song, We are homeward bound, that was sung with an earnestness that could not be mistaken. I fancied I could discern, in the rough tones of the crew under my command, the existence of the same emotions that swelled in my own breast at this moment. For seamen, high and low, though content to pass the greater portion of their lives upon the world of waters, can never entirely suppress that yearning for home, which, perhaps, after all, is one of the finest traits in human nature. And now that it might be legitimately indulged, I was not sorry to see such strong evidences of its existence.
Ere the last vestige of day had passed, the coast of Australia had faded from our sight, though not from our memory; for, however much thoughts of the land to which we were returning crowded on our minds, they could not as yet entirely obliterate the recollection of that we were quitting. The Swan River colony--its history, its state, its prospects--naturally occupied much of our mind. What a change had come over it even since our visit! From a happy little family, if I may use the expression, it had grown into a populous colony, in which all the passions, the rivalries, the loves and the hates of the mother country were in some sort represented. And yet there remained still much of that old English hospitality, which rendered our first stay so pleasant, and which almost made us desire to prolong our last. The alteration that had taken place was rather to be referred to the increasing number of settlers, which rendered inevitable the formation of circles more or less exclusive, and which, with the forms of European society, promised to introduce many of its defects.
But our thoughts wandered, from time to time, over the whole of this extraordinary continent, which we saw for the first time in November 1837, at the point from which we took our departure, in May, 1843. The strange contrasts to the rest of the world which it affords were enumerated and commented upon--its cherries with their stones growing outside--its trees, which shed their bark instead of their leaves--its strange animals--its still stranger population--its mushroom cities--and, finally, the fact that the approach to human habitations is not announced by the barking of dogs, but by the barking of trees!*
(*Footnote. The trees in the vicinity of houses are generally barked to obtain a covering for the roofs.)
Westerly winds carried us into the South-East trade by the 13th, in latitude 22 degrees 30 minutes South four hundred miles from the North-west Cape, when our course was directed for the Mauritius. We found the trade very squally, and on one or two occasions managed to screw as much as eleven knots out of the old craft.
RODRIGUE ISLAND.
A little after noon on the 27th we saw Rodrigue Island sooner than we expected, in consequence of our finding it placed seven miles to the westward of its true position, even with reference to the meridian of the Mauritius. Our observations, in passing to southward, made the eastern end of it 5 degrees 59 minutes East of Port Louis, and 63 degrees 31 3/4 East of Greenwich, latitude 19 degrees 42 minutes South. I was rather surprised to find this error in the position of Rodrigue, as it is quite a finger-post for ships on their voyage from India to Great Britain. It trends east and west for seventeen miles, and is in width about six. For a volcanic island its features are not very remarkable; the highest part is a peak or excrescence, 1700 feet high, rising towards the eastern end out of a rather level ridge.
On the morning of the 29th, the high land of the Mauritius was seen breaking through the mass of clouds. Passing round the north end of the island, in the evening we reached Port Louis, where we found a French man-of-war that had just brought in the crew of a vessel foundered at sea. Their escape had been one of the most remarkable on record. The ship was from Liverpool, and was rounding the south-eastern point of Africa with a strong north-west wind, when she sprang a leak, which increased so fast, that the crew were ultimately obliged to abandon her and take to the boats. The sea was so great that they were compelled to run before the wind, with the prospect only of prolonging their lives for a brief space, no land lying in that direction.
PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE.
Providentially, the morning following they found themselves alongside a French frigate; but the boats were so low in the water that for some time they escaped observation, and were nearly passed. At length, by waving a lady's shawl in the air, they attracted the attention of the Frenchmen, and were taken on board, and treated with an attentive kindness, which entitled their preservers to the thanks of all who would wish to be so received under such circumstances. I regret that the name of the captain of the ship has escaped me; though I remember it being said, that he had himself been saved on a previous occasion by a Liverpool ship in the China Sea.
Not long before the arrival of the Beagle in Port Louis, a fleet of crippled vessels, the victims of a recent hurricane, might have been seen making their way into the harbour, some dismasted, others kept afloat with difficulty, firing guns of distress, or giving other signs of their helpless condition. The monotony of colonial life was suddenly disturbed, by no means disagreeably to some, as the telegraph told off a succession of lame ducks, as they were jocularly called, such as seldom or ever had been witnessed, even at that place. It required but a visit to the bell buoy, to see at a glance the destructive effects of the storm on the unfortunate ships.
EFFECTS OF HURRICANE AT MAURITIUS.
On the tranquil surface of the harbour lay a group of shattered vessels, presenting the appearance of floating wrecks. In almost all, the bulwarks, boats, and everything on deck had been swept away; some, that were towed in, had lost all their masts, others more or less of their spars; one had her poop and all its cabins swept away; many had four or five feet water in the hold, and the clank of the pumps was still kept up by the weary crew.
Such was the description given me of the circumstances under which the crowd of vessels that lay at anchor in Port Louis had arrived. I had anticipated that I should here be enabled to make some important additions to the notices of hurricanes that have occasionally appeared in this work; and certainly ample opportunity now presented itself. But I found that this interesting subject was in more able hands, those, namely, of Mr. Alexander Thom, of H.M. 86th Regiment, whose valuable observations have been laid before the public, in a work called, An Inquiry into the Nature and Course of Storms; a volume that embraces many important considerations for seamen, to whom, indeed, and to the ship-owner, Mr. Thom, by his scientific investigations, has proved himself a true friend.
It is curious that military men should have been the first to study the causes of hurricanes, and to tell sailors how to avoid their effects; but that such is the case, the works of Colonel Reid and of my friend Mr. Thom will testify.
I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of the latter gentleman in Port Louis. What he considered to be the grand sources of rotatory storms--winds charged with opposite kinds of electricity and blowing in opposite directions--appeared to account satisfactorily for the occurrence of hurricanes in the Pacific, where there are no continents or chains of mountains to produce them and guide their courses.
As so much has been already written about this interesting island, the Mauritius, and as, moreover, space forbids, I do not here make use of the mass of information with which Mr. Thom has kindly furnished me, respecting its history and resources, and the subject of Coolie labour; but on some future occasion I may be able to lay it before the public.
During my stay at Port Louis I received much hospitality, particularly from the family of Colonel Staveley, Commander of the Forces, which I take this opportunity of acknowledging.
We sailed from the Mauritius on the 10th of June, and on the following day passed about 20 miles south-east of the Island of Bourbon. It resembles a large cone emerging from the water; and its features are strikingly different from those of the Mauritius; the outline is not softened by luxuriant vegetation, but is sudden and steep and massive.
MADAGASCAR.
Southerly and westerly winds brought us in sight of Madagascar on the 16th, and on the same evening, aided by a southerly current of 2 knots an hour, we were just able to weather its South-East extreme. The features of this great island that were presented to our view approached the Alpine, and from a passing glimpse of the small hills near the shore, it appeared to be a fertile country. This portion of the globe is one of great interest to the world at large, especially when we know that, if considered as a naval or military station, it is scarcely equalled by any in the Indian Ocean; besides having a soil of the best description, and abounding also in mineral wealth, with timber fit for any purposes, and thousands of cattle running wild in its valleys. On the afternoon of the 27th we were within seven or eight miles of the land, near the great Fish River, on the south-eastern coast of Africa, having apparently got within the eddy of the westerly current, which sweeps round that part of the coast at the distance of thirty miles with a velocity of from two to five miles an hour, which we entirely lost after passing Algoa Bay. Within thirty miles of the latter place we had a strong gale from the southward of twenty-four hours duration; and on the morning of the 1st of July arrived at Simon's Bay, in company with Her Majesty's ship Belleisle, which sailed two days before us from the Mauritius. Nearly six years had elapsed since our last visit, and little improvement had taken place in colonial affairs.
(*Footnote. The little difficulty that strangers found in recognizing this anchorage at night, is now overcome by a light-vessel being placed near the Roman Rocks; but the streaks of sand, resembling snow, down the sides of the hills over Simons Bay, and the remarkable break in the high land over another bay, just to the northward, are sufficient guides of themselves in clear weather.)
On the 9th we were again on our way homeward. Touching at St. Helena* and Ascension, we crossed the equator on the forenoon of the 15th, in longitude 19 degrees 45 minutes West, where we endeavoured to obtain soundings with 2000 fathoms of line, which parted at 1600 fathoms. Respecting deep-sea soundings, there are some sceptical persons who, in consequence of the bottom not being brought up from the great depths reported to have been found, are inclined to doubt that soundings were actually obtained on those occasions.
(*Footnote. This place is famed for its large flying-fish, of which some are from 18 to 24 inches in length: and not a little so, for those monsters of the finny tribe called sharks. In the Admiralty book of directions, the fact is related of an artillery-man being found fully accoutred in the stomach of one taken there.)
ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND.
On the 24th a continuation of westerly winds* brought us in sight of St. Jago and Bravo, of the Cape de Verd Group; on passing which we got the North-East trade, and, after staying a part of the 10th and 11th at Fayal, where we met Her Majesty's Steamer Styx, Captain Vidal, who, on parting, gave us three hearty farewell cheers, we did not, in consequence of easterly winds, arrive at Spithead until the 30th day of September, after an absence of upwards of six years. During this period we only lost two men, and preserved throughout almost the same spars** and boats,*** we left Plymouth with in 1831. From Portsmouth we proceeded round to Woolwich, where the ship was paid off on the 18th of October, 1843.
(*Footnote. Ships availing themselves of these winds, when, also, the westerly current ceases near the equator, might, by running away to the eastward in them, shorten the passage to either Ascension or St. Helena.)
(**Footnote. I have already mentioned that the Beagle was fitted with Mr. Snow Harris's lightning conductors; the fact mentioned in the text is ample proof that they do not weaken even the smallest spars.)
(***Footnote. It is in justice due to say, that the boats were chiefly built by Mr. Johns, of Plymouth Dockyard.)
TAKE LEAVE OF THE BEAGLE.
After giving the men their certificates, I loitered a short time to indulge in those feelings that naturally arose on taking a final leave of the poor old Beagle at the same place where I first joined her in 1825. Many events have occurred since my first trip to sea in her: I have seen her under every variety of circumstances, placed in peculiar situations and fearful positions, from nearly the antarctic to the tropic, cooled by the frigid clime of the extreme of South America, or parched by the heats of North Australia; under every vicissitude, from the grave to the gay, I have struggled along with her; and after wandering together for eighteen years, a fact unprecedented in the service, I naturally parted from her with regret. Her movements, latterly, have been anxiously watched, and the chances are that her ribs will separate, and that she will perish in the river* where she was first put together. She has made herself as notorious as during the war did her namesake, that reaped golden opinions from her success in prize-making; while my old friend has extensively contributed to our geographical knowledge.
(*Footnote. The Beagle, now employed in the Preventive Service, is moored in Crouch Creek, near South End.)
THE SURVEYING SERVICE. CONCLUSION.
There was only one drawback to the pleasure I experienced on arriving in England--namely, that Lieutenant G. Gore did not obtain his promotion, but was compelled to seek it by a second voyage to the North Pole. All the mates were, in the course of a short time, promoted, and the ship's company received the favour of having half of their slop bill deducted, an indulgence which the Lords of the Admiralty, from the kindest and most considerate motives, have in some instances bestowed upon the crews of surveying vessels, on their return from distant voyages. This boon, however, in some instances, operates unfairly. In the first place, it often happens, in spite of the strictest surveillance, that the worst characters will, if they can, take up the greatest quantity of slops, which they convert either into money or grog, whenever an opportunity presents itself. The really steady men generally look clean and neat as long as possible, without much assistance from the purser. Then again, the boats' crews of all surveying vessels are necessarily so much more exposed, that they not only the sooner wear out their ordinary clothing, but absolutely require additional comforts in that way. I am therefore strongly of opinion that, in this department (and I speak from experience) the Captain should be allowed a certain portion of slops, to be placed at his disposal, and distributed under his sole authority; or might not he be enabled to recommend a certain number of the best men for a small increase upon their regular pay? This judicious exercise of discretion would be the means of retaining in this important branch of the service, a class of men who would become most valuable to their officers when engaged in the arduous and responsible duties of a survey.
As in the Royal Engineers, a great deal of the superior talent of the officers might be better bestowed, by abandoning to the petty officers the rougher part of the surveying work, in which calculation is not required. For this purpose, a kind of instruction might be imparted, which that class of men, if encouraged by extra pay, is capable of receiving, particularly those who have had the advantage of a Greenwich education.
To strengthen the suggestions I have made regarding the surveying service, I cannot refrain from alluding--and I do so with honest pride--both to the actions in China, and the very recent gallant destruction of the Argentine batteries in the River Parana, as instances of the importance of this branch of the profession in time of war. During peace the new countries that are explored, and the new fields of commerce that are opened to the world, will speak for themselves.
The winds on the western coast of Australia, are, for the most part, from some southern point--chiefly between South-South-West and South-South-East.
During the summer, or from the early part of October to the beginning of April, they are almost constant from this quarter; but in the winter their regularity is broken in upon by occasional winds between north and west that at times blow with great violence, and are accompanied by heavy rain, and thick dirty weather.
Near the shore, land and seabreezes appear to be regular, the former generally dying away towards the middle of the day, after having reached as far as East from about South-East at sunrise; then follows a short interval of calm, after which, the seabreeze sets in, mostly at South-South-West, and draws to the eastward of south in the evening.
At times the land wind veers round the compass, and is then generally stronger than usual; blowing fresh for a short time from North-East, and bringing a parching heat from the land; upon these occasions the seabreeze comes in from a more western point, and is lighter.
At Swan River, in the months of December, January, and February, the seabreezes are very strong, for intervals of from three to five days; during which time they blow fresh throughout the night--drawing to the southward after midnight, and towards sunrise to South-South-East and South-East, but more moderate. In the middle of the day, they back again to the southward, and soon to South-South-West, from which quarter they blow very fresh until midnight.
Intervals of such weather are from three to five days' duration, and are followed by the like number of days of moderate weather, with winds mostly off the land; sometimes strong gusts from the east, for a few hours, with oppressively hot weather.
I have noticed, that when the seabreeze sets in from a point to the westward of South-West, it does not blow so strong, and generally lulls at sunset; but if more southerly, or from South-South-West, it is a fiery breeze, and often lasts until midnight.
During the prevalence of these strong seabreezes, communication between Gage Road and the shore is very inconvenient--particularly for laden boats.
In March, the seabreezes are not nearly so strong, but are generally moderate, and not unfrequently bring in thick misty weather from southwards, with drizzling rain.
Generally speaking, when the seabreezes are the strongest, the land winds are light, and vice versa.
I cannot speak from experience of the winds or weather during the month of April, at Swan River, but have been told that the seabreezes are moderate, and the land winds of longer duration; calms are frequent--and the weather altogether seems to indicate the breaking up of the summer season; light winds are occasionally felt from the northward, with a dull, gloomy appearance between that point and South-West.
May is the month in which the winter weather fairly sets in, and it rarely happens that the middle of this month passes without the rains having commenced. This season seems to vary but little as to the time and manner of setting in--it is ushered in by blowing weather, from about North-North-East, the wind gradually veering round to the westward, as it increases in strength. The first of this weather usually lasts from a week to fourteen days; then comes an interval of fine weather, generally of a fortnight's duration, and sometimes a month; after which the rains set in more constant, and the intervals of fine weather are shorter; this weather lasts until October, and at times throughout that month.
During the intervals of fine weather the climate is delightful, and the country has a fresh and pleasing appearance; land and seabreezes are as regular as in summer, with the exception, that the latter are much more moderate.
The North-West gales that occasionally occur during the winter months, on the southern parts of the west coast of Australia, are probably felt as far north as Shark's Bay. They blow with great violence, and are accompanied by dark, gloomy weather, and rain. It is then unsafe to be near the land--as the gale that commences at North-North-East, invariably veers to the westward, making a lee shore of the whole line of coast, and between West-North-West and West-South-West blows the hardest.
Fortunately these gales give ample warning; the barometer always foretells their approach, and generally begins to fall three or four days before the commencement of the gale--besides which, there are other never-failing indications of a northerly wind, such as, the change of the current, which (owing to the prevailing southerly winds) usually sets to the northward, but runs strong to the southward during northerly winds--frequently preceding them, and giving more timely notice than the barometer.
A rising of the water is likewise a certain prognostic of a northerly wind; and has been invariably noticed, at Swan River, to precede all gales from that quarter--this, of course, can only be observed while at anchor on the coast.
Another, and perhaps equally certain sign of approaching bad weather, during the winter season (and which is almost certain to be from the northward) is the strength of the North-East winds--as it has been observed, that when the land winds blow strong, particularly from the North-East and the seabreezes are light, with a falling barometer, a gale from the northward will follow. Perhaps these latter remarks, are only applicable to that distance from the shore, where a ship will be within the influence of the land and seabreezes; but as I conceive the limit of that distance to be full 30 miles off shore, a notice of such a symptom of approaching bad weather, may not be altogether useless. I am of opinion, that land winds are at times felt as far off shore as the edge of soundings, which is not less than 30 miles, and generally between that and 40.
(In latitude 30 degrees 25 minutes South and 65 miles from the land, soundings were got from the Beagle, with 185 fathoms of line, upon a coral bottom. Between Swan River and Houtman's Abrolhos, soundings may be had at a greater distance from the land, than off any other part of the west coast.)
The North-West gales are of longer duration, in the latitude of Swan River, and south of that, than they are to the northward; they do not appear to be entirely confined to the winter months, as I am told that a very heavy one was experienced at Swan River, early in March, 1832, and on the 13th December, 1839, the Beagle experienced a strong breeze from the northward, while at anchor in Gage Road, in consequence of which, it was considered necessary to let go an extra anchor.
As it may be satisfactory to know more particularly the progress of these gales, and the effect they have upon the barometer and sympiesometer, I give the details of two that were experienced in H.M.S. Beagle, one at Swan River, in the beginning of June 1838, the other at Houtman's Abrolhos, in the beginning of May 1840; they may be taken as fair criterions of the strength and duration of these gales, the latter having been experienced, probably, within 5 degrees of their northern limit, and the former near the southern extreme of the west coast.
As our barometer had been broken in March 1838, the register of a sympiesometer will be given in describing the gale of June in that year; but as this instrument had been found (by comparison with the barometer) to act exceedingly well, it will be sufficient for our purpose; the GENERAL use of a marine barometer being merely that of a weather glass, for which purpose a sympiesometer is equally good, and more sensitive.
For the gale of 1840, the register of a barometer is shown, which, although 0.2 too low, will serve to show the effect upon the mercury.
At Swan River, on the 24th of May, 1838, the wind was strong and squally from North-East by North; sympiesometer standing at 30.74. During the day the oil commenced to fall, and continued falling slowly until the 30th, when it was 30.16; during the greater part of this interval, the winds were light, generally from some eastern point in the morning, and going round the compass, by north and west, during the day; the nights were mostly calm, a heavy bank of clouds was collecting between North-North-East and South-West and the whole western horizon had a gloomy appearance. On the evening of the 30th, the water had risen considerably at the anchorage, and the stream ran to the southward; a fresh breeze also set in from North-East and gradually veered to the northward, as it increased in strength. On the 31st it blew hard all day, between North-North-East and North-North-West, with dark squally weather, much lightning in South-West and heavy rain, that continued all night. On June the 1st, the gale was at its height, and at 8 A.M. (the sympiesometer having fallen to 29.93) was blowing a hard gale, with heavy squalls and rain, from North-West; towards noon the wind veered to west, but still blew very hard; the sympiesometer now began to rise, and in the evening the wind was West-South-West and had moderated considerably, the weather was also clearer, although heavy clouds still hung on the western horizon.
The next morning (the 2nd) the sympiesometer had risen to 30.26; but this was much too sudden a rise (0.33 in 24 hours) to allow us to suppose, that the favourable change in the weather was to be of long continuance; during the day the oil began to fall again, and the wind veered to West and North-West and on the 3rd blew harder than ever, with heavy rain, thunder, and lightning; and, with the exception of occasional intervals, when the wind moderated, this weather continued until the 10th. The wind during this time was variable, between North-North-West and West-South-West, the sympiesometer between 29.81 and 30.16--falling with the North-West winds, and rising as the wind veered to west and West-South-West.
This gale, which may be said to have been of ten days' continuance, caused a very heavy sea upon the coast; the oldest residents at Swan River said they had never experienced so heavy a sea before. On the 10th the glass commenced to rise steadily, and the weather was fine, with light variable winds, until the Beagle sailed (on the 20th).
Owing to the security of Owen's anchorage, and the good quality of the bottom, the Beagle rode out this bad weather, without causing the slightest apprehension to anyone on board; but had a merchant vessel been in Gage Road, in all probability, she would have added one more to the list of wrecks, that have already done too much in prejudicing strangers against the Swan River settlement.
The gale of May, 1840, at Houtman's Abrolhos, commenced in a similar manner with that already described, but being in a lower latitude, was of shorter duration, and the indications did not precede it such a length of time; still they were in every respect similar.
This gale commenced on the 2nd of May, in the evening, and lasted until the evening of the 4th. on April the 29th, the barometer stood at 30.17 (having been some days steadily high); it then commenced to fall, and on the evening of May the 2nd, was 29.86; during this interval we daily experienced strong East-North-East and North-East winds; they generally commenced after midnight, and lasted until noon; a bank of clouds was also collecting in the North-West and there was occasional lightning in that quarter; the early part of May the 2nd was nearly calm, and there was a heavy bank of clouds between North and South-West. After noon a light breeze sprang up from North-West which gradually freshened; and during the night the barometer fell 17-hundredths.
At sunrise on May the 3rd, there was a fresh breeze from North-North-West and the weather had a very dull and gloomy appearance, the wind increasing rapidly, and by noon it blew a heavy gale at West-North-West; the barometer had fallen to 29.58, at which it continued until midnight, when the wind drew to the southward of west, and the mercury began to rise. The gale continued unabated, with squalls and rain, until noon of the 4th, although the barometer had been rising since the previous midnight; in the afternoon the wind moderated, and the weather became fine.
From this it would appear that the barometer gives ample warning of an approaching North-West gale, as it had been falling nearly four days before the commencement of the bad weather, this alone ought to be sufficient to put a man upon his guard if near the shore. Between April the 29th (the first day of the fresh north-easterly winds) and May the 3rd (when the gale was at its height, and the wind began to draw to the southward of west) the mercury had fallen 6-tenths. The change of current did not precede the wind, but changed with it; when the gale was strong from North-West and West-North-West the current ran a knot an hour to the South-East, and when the wind changed to South-West it ran with the same velocity to the North-East.
The west coast of New Holland is at times visited by sudden squalls, resembling hurricanes. I was told by the master of an American whaler, that in March 1839, when in company with several whalers off Sharks' Bay, he experienced some very bad weather, which came on suddenly, without having given any previous warning, but it was not of long continuance; the gusts of wind were very violent, shifting suddenly to all points of the compass. Some of the ships suffered considerable damage, in loss of topmasts, etc. others in sails, but all more or less. I think the first squall was from North-East off the land.
The American whalers that resort to the west coast of Australia, are upon different parts of it at all seasons of the year; their range is between the parallel of 10 and 50 degrees of south latitude. In the summer they fish to the southward, and at that season visit Swan River and King George's Sound, for refreshments; but during the winter months they are rarely to the southward of Sharks' Bay; numbers are to be met off the North-West Cape.
Between the parallels of 40 and 45 degrees they meet much bad weather, as it is generally blowing strong with a heavy sea; but between 45 and 50 degrees the weather is much more settled, and finer. November is said to be generally the finest of the summer months, the winds are mostly moderate, and the weather more settled than at other periods.
Two gales 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 barometer by gales from opposite quarters, one being from North-West and the other from South-East.
On November the 1st, the barometer stood at 29.90, having been gradually rising for some days previous to that, and the wind had been fresh between north and west. After 8 P.M. on the 1st, the mercury began to fall, and on the 2nd, the wind was strong from North-North-West--barometer falling all day. During the night it blew a heavy gale, and the barometer fell to 29.34. On the morning of the 3rd the wind veered to the westward, and the mercury began to rise, the weather also became more moderate, and gradually fine.
On the 8th of the same month, the barometer was 30.05 at 8 P.M. with fine weather, wind South-East by East, it then commenced to fall, and at 8 P.M. on the 9th was 29.80, and blowing a heavy gale at South-East, which continued all night, and until 8 P.M. on the 10th, at which time it became more moderate, and the barometer began to rise.
What a different effect these gales had on the barometer; that from the North-West causing 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.
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 meridian of 123 degrees east longitude, and at a short distance from the land, the east and west monsoons will be found regular; but the easterly monsoon is very light to the southward of 13 degrees latitude.
Between Clarence Straits and Cambridge Gulf, and during the months of September, October, November, and December, the wind during 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 from South-East or East which gradually drew to the northward towards the middle of the day, in the afternoon, a seabreeze from North-West or west, becoming light 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 were more constantly from the West or West-North-West, blowing from that quarter throughout the twenty-four hours, but much more moderate at night than during the day; at full and change of the moon, the breezes were much stronger than at other times, and upon one or two occasions, at the time of the moon's quartering, there was a light breeze from South-East in the morning.
During the month of November, the ship 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 time, the seabreeze was regular from North-West or West-North-West, generally setting in about noon, and lasting the greater part of the night; in the mornings, and until noon, it was mostly calm, or very light winds from the northward. In the last week of this month the weather was very unsettled and squally, with much thunder and lightning, 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 the middle of December.
During the 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 smoke at no great distance from the coast, rising perpendicularly, or influenced by a light south-easterly wind, and this at times when the seabreeze was strong. 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 westward, 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 from the westward, accompanied by fine weather during the day to the southward of that point--sometimes as far as South-West--and at night inclining 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 Timor, are said to run to the westward, during the easterly monsoon--and in the opposite direction with the westerly; but they seem to be influenced by every trifling change of wind--as on the 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd of December (when the westerly monsoon might be supposed at its height) we experienced light, variable winds, between South-East and East-North-East--during which period the current ran to the westward--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 we were to the southward of the North-West Cape, when they became more southerly, and at times South-South-East (in January). Throughout all this period, the weather was fine, and different from what was expected during 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 very much subjected to light winds, particularly during the easterly monsoon, the strength of which is not felt to the southward of 13 or 14 degrees of south latitude. During the westerly monsoon, strong winds and gales 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 termed hurricane squalls); fortunately they are not of long duration, rarely lasting over two hours. They give ample warning of their approach, by the gathering of a heavy bank of clouds between North-East and South-East, and much lightning in that quarter. Appearances such as these frequently precede the squall some days, but coming gradually nearer (to the westward). The barometer shows no indication of approaching bad weather, being only acted upon by the immediate change; these squalls mostly occur in the night, or between sunset and sunrise.
During the latter part of the westerly monsoon, on that part of the coast between Cape Villaret and Point Swan, we found the weather remarkably fine, with the exception of an occasional short, but severe squall, from the eastward. During the day there was generally a moderate seabreeze between North-West and South-West commencing in the forenoon, and lasting sometimes nearly until midnight--on which occasions it blew strongest during the night); during the other part of the twenty-four hours the wind was light from the eastward or calm. Captain King experienced similar weather in August.
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 met with, at this season of the year, a few degrees to the northward; it commenced in the last week of January, and continued until the middle of February, during which period, there were some strong gales from the westward, between North-West and South-West accompanied by heavy rain, thunder and lightning; but although 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 time; but after the strong 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 resumed their threatening appearance, bringing some hard squalls, and rain from that quarter. In the middle of March (being the time when equinoctial gales 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 became regular, and the easterly monsoon had no doubt set in to the northward; the strongest breezes now were from South-East but, generally speaking, the winds were very light near the land.
It does not appear that the westerly monsoon blows with any degree of regularity, to the southward of the 13th degree of south latitude; although for some degrees 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 many parts of the coast, there are no doubt strong gales at times from the westward, that send in a very heavy sea. During the easterly monsoon, the weather is fine on the North-West coast, particularly in the months of May, June, July, and August; this is undoubtedly the best time for visiting it; land and seabreezes are regular, and the temperature is very agreeable.
The average range of the thermometer on that part of the coast, between the North-West Cape, and the meridian of 120 degrees east longitude, during the above-mentioned period, was between 75 degrees in the middle of the day, and 60 degrees at night, on board the ship, and the general course of the wind as follows, viz.
About sunrise, or sometimes a little before that, a breeze springs 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 A.M. often blows a fiery breeze; towards noon it moderates, and rarely lasts until 2 P.M., after which there is a light breeze from North-East which at times reaches to north; the nights are mostly calm, or a light breeze from the south-westward; at the full and change of the moon, we found the south-easterly winds stronger than at other times; dews at times very copious.
All this part of the coast is subject to the effects of mirage, by which its outline is at times very much distorted, but generally speaking it ceases with the strength of the breeze, and as the sun attains a little altitude. When the effects of mirage was observed in the morning, I noticed that the winds were much lighter throughout the day, than usual.
During this part of the year, the atmosphere is clear, with a cloudless sky, and the coast is exempted from the violent East-South-East squalls, that are of frequent occurrence, while the sun is in the southern hemisphere, and the land consequently very much heated.
Towards the latter end of August, and in September, the winds are not quite so regular, and there are occasional intervals of two or three days of westerly winds.
That part of the North-West coast between the North-West Cape, and the 116th degree of east longitude, seems to be subject to westerly winds at all times of the year. The prevailing southerly winds that blow along the west coast, appear to draw round the Cape, and follow the direction of the land. Between April and October (when the easterly monsoon is blowing to the northward) they are generally to the southward of west, or between that point and South-West, but during the westerly monsoon between West and North-West.
Upon getting to the westward of the North-West Cape, the wind becomes more southerly, and draws to the eastward of south as the distance from the land increases, and will be found varying between South-South-East and East-South-East, generally speaking as far south as the parallel of 30 degrees of south latitude, after which it is mostly to the westward of south, so that ships making a passage to the southward, along the west coast of New Holland, will rarely be able to make any easting, before reaching that latitude, particularly during the summer months. In the winter a ship may occasionally make a quick passage to the southward, if happening to be upon the coast during a northerly gale; and as all these gales are preceded by North-East winds, a sufficient offing may be gained to enable her to run on, when the wind gets to the southward of west.
That part of the coast of New Holland from Cape York to Cape Van Diemen, and extending as far south as the parallel of 12 degrees south latitude, may be said to be within the limit of the east and west monsoons, as at a short distance from the coast, these periodical winds will be found to blow with great regularity.
Near the land, the easterly monsoon sets in between the 1st and middle of April, and the westerly monsoon in October, and sometimes not until November. At a distance from the land they are probably more regular, as the changes of the monsoons are said to take place about the first week in April and October.
In the month of July, we found the winds between Booby Island and Port Essington, fresh from the eastward, veering at times to East-South-East and occasionally to South-East but rarely to the northward of east. Close to the land these winds are not so constant, but take more the character of land and seabreezes, and the nights are mostly calm; this we found to be the case during part of the months of July and August, while at anchor in Port Essington. The general course of the winds during that period was as follows. A little before sunrise, a breeze sprang up from South or South-South-East which gradually became more easterly as the sun approached the meridian; sometimes in the middle of the day, it was light from the eastward, or calm, and at other times veered gradually to North-East, from which quarter there came a fresh seabreeze every afternoon; this breeze lasted until sunset, and at times later, but the nights were always calm.
We experienced similar winds between Melville Island and Port Essington, but being a short distance from the land, the nights were not calm, although the winds were very light.
During the easterly monsoon, it is difficult to get to the eastward, as at a few miles from the land the current is always running to the westward, and runs strong past the projecting points; but by contriving to be near the land at daylight, at which time the wind is always more southerly, something may be gained.
At Port Essington, the rainy season can scarcely be said to set in before the middle of November; there is then, squally, dirty weather, with rain from the westward and North-West, and at this season, there are at times heavy squalls from South-East accompanied by rain, thunder, and lightning.
In 1838, the westerly monsoon set in at Port Essington, in the first week in November; there had been no rain before that.