The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-13 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JEJNE7I:3, 1853.

TILE CLIMATE OP AUSTRALIA.

It was a fine summer morning in Melbourne on Sun-
day, the 19th of December, 1852, but about midday the
air became very hot, and oppressively so about two
o'clock. Having occasion to visit au encampment in
the bush to the northward of the town, I rode off lei-
surely in that direction, keeping as near as I could to
the winding banks of the Yarra Yarra, in hopes of get-
ting a breath of cool air now and then from the surface
of the water. I had not proceeded far into the bush when
the hot gusts became more frequent, and in less than
five minutes there came a gale of wind, bringing with it
a long streaming volume of hot, stinging dust, so dense
that, when I could venture to peep up from beneath the
broad rim of my hat, I could not see a yard in advance,
nor could I see below my horse's ears. His nose was
absolutely invisible, and so were my own feet, while the
current of dust swept by us. Being already used to this
I proceeded on my way (most unfortunately I had for-
gotten to bring my veil), and galloped forward between
each of the gusts.
An interval of a few minutes occurred, and the air
having cleared before me—the dust-currents being on
their way for Melbourne—l saw on the high swelling
ground in front, at the distance of about a mile, as it
seemed, a dirty red cloud over the hills 1.1 I mounds,
which soon rose above the dry squalid greyi . (Ads of the
bush trees. It rapidly expanded, and in a few seconds
assumed the appearance of a range of ragged conical
rocks of the colour of faded brick dust. The line red-
dened, and the sky became darker. It was no cloud ;
the whole mass was evidently advancing. Of course I
immediately became but too well aware that this was
some new specimen of the hot blast, of a kind or degree
far exceeding any I had met before. A devoted observer
of phenomena would no doubt have remained, but I
frankly confess that, not understanding the thing, I
bolted. Twirling my horse's head round, I spurred back
at full speed, intending to reach the town before " the
enemy" overtook me. But looking over my shoulder,
I saw that my pursuer was gaining upon me ; there was
nothing for it, therefore, but to make a sudden wheel to
the left, towards a few yards of fence, made of thin
planks of the stringy bark called shingles, which seemed
to be the only remains of some abandoned station.
Feeling sure my horse would never stand what was
coming, but tear away his bridle if I hung him up to a
tree, I jumped off, and hurriedly detaching the hobbles
from the saddle-rings, hobbled him in no very careful
way, and took to my heels for the palings. I was ob-
liged to leap across a long winding gully or watercourse,
amid the pelting drift of the preliminary gust of hot sand,
and had just time to crouch down, with my back against
the fence planks, in a doubled-up posture, my hat pulled
over my eyes, and my face pressed close towards my
knees, with my hands pressing down the crown and
side rims of my hat. With a dry, rushing noise, like a
land storm sweeping throne) a forest in autumn, the
hot blast struck the fence, the continuous stream pass-
ing over the top above my head, as I could feel by the
pressure and vibration of the boards, as they bent
over me. Notwithstanding all my care, the hot dust
peppered and stung my face, penetrating my ears and
nostrils, covered as they were, tingling under my shirt,
and even getting between my teeth, though I thought I
had kept my mouth close enough. Half opening my
eyes to look upon the ground, in consequence of a
strange sensation of things about me, I saw that I was
covered, and the ground too, all round me, with myriads
of flies, beetles, ants, grasshoppers, and other insects,
which had been driven through the chinks and between
the shingles of the fence. Great numbers of them were
dead, especially the flying grasshoppers, beetles, and a
large brassy-looking fly, something like a long, half-
starved wasp ; but most of the smaller flies, and nearly
all the ants, were in a lively state of dismay, and very
quickly sought shelter at the back of my boots, the folds
and wrinkles of which they literally filled up, covering,
also, the heels completely, spurs and all. After remain-
ing in this crouched position at least five or six minutes,
during which the blast continued to rush over me, and
onwards, with no apparent sign of cessation, it was im-
possible any longer to resist the desire of having one
look at what was going on. Keeping my hand still on
the crown of my hat, with the sides pressed close to my
face, and making what schoolboys calla " squinny-eye,'
I very guardedly and gradually took a brief look up.
Over the top of the fence, and above my head, rushed
an unbroken stream of reddish-gray dust, with the same
stream rushing from each side where the few yards of
fence ended, and meeting in front, so that I sat enclosed
in a hollow wedge of reddish-grey, hot, stinging dust,
beyond which nothing whatever was visible. It seemed
to me that this lasted, nearly half an hour, but, pro-
bably, as a little of this " went a great way" in sensa-
tion, the duration was not so much—perhaps not above
a quarter of an hour. Quite long enough.
Not a soul was to be seen all the way back to Mel-
bourne except three young men, new arrivals, who were
lying with their faces close to the ground, and their
coats and waistcoats turned up over their heads. Even
on entering the town scarcely anybody was in any street.
They had all " run for their lives" and slammed the
doors after them. The hot blast of this day is said by
some who were here on the celebrated Black Thursday
(when the bush took fire for so many miles, and such
numbers died in the towns), to have made them appre-
hend ahnost a recurrence of similar horrors. In fact it
was a simoom, and nothing else. These hot blasts in a
minor degree, are of frequent occurrence. When the
dust cloud sweeps along you cannot discern a single ob-
ject beyond it. No town, no bush, nothing but hot
dust.

So much has been said during the last two or three
years of the beauty, mildness, and salubrity of the cli-
mate of Australia, that it would have been a very fruit-
less task to offer any observations of a different ten-
dency until a sufficient number of successful and unpre-
judiced voyagers returned to bear testimony by their
own personarexperience.
The heat is fitful and excessive. After a period of
moderate warmth, cooled by occasional torrents of rain,
the thermometer rose on the 30th of December, to 113
deg. in the shade of a verandah. I hung it up against a
house in the sun, two doors from Captain Chishohn's
office in Swanstone-street, and in less than 20 minutes
it rose to 126 deg. To all appearance it would have risen
higher, probably to upwards of 130 deg. ; but, being in-
disposed to bake myself by standing sentry near the
thermometer any longer, and not daring to leave it least
somebody should just take at down and put it in his
pocket, I was obliged to terminate my observations.
Next day the heat was much the same till the
afternoon, when, the wind changing to the south-west,
we were relieved by a sudden coolness, which re-
quired a change of clothing in the evening. On the
day after this (January Ist, 1853), we had rain,
and the air was as cold as in the early part of
the spring, some three months ago. The rain quite
destroyed the holyday of New-year's-day, with its
steeplechase, &c., as it did the horticultural show at the
Botanical Gardens—just as we are accustomed to be
treated in England ; but then we were taught to expect
no such caprices of weather in this heaven upon earth.
All I can is, that on January the sth I felt cold all day
in summer clothing, and on the 6th I fairly returned to
the same underclothing I had worn in the winter, and
found it just the thing.

The following extracts are taken from the "Diary of
a Meteorologist, living in a tent in Canvas Town," as
the encampment on the South Yarra is designated :
" Rounded the Cape in the middle of October ; wet,
squally, and wretchedly cold. Consoled by thinking of
the land of promise, the gentlest and healthiest of cli-
mates, where the old get young, where rheumatism is
unknown, where pigs axe fed on peaches, and poverty
has no place.

" Landed. at Port Philip the first week in November,
the commencrement of the Australian summer. First
few days very fine, somewhat over-warm though—about
80 dee,. in the shade. Still very fine. A moderate
breeze from the south, fresh from the sea. All true
about the climate. What I hear about the rainy season
seems exaggerated.. As to the streets of the town being
often impassable, that is for want of proper drains.
"Fixed my tent on the South Yarra, and hung up
my thermometer. A pastoral life before me.
"November 5 (my first day), the mercury rose to 90
dogs. in the shade. Lay panting on a box the greater
part of the day, having walked too fast in the morning.
"Next day, so chilly, was obliged to put thicker
trousers on, and an extra coat. Dark heavy clouds over
head all day ;no sun visible. Mercury once got up to
64 degs., and then lazily sunk down again. In the
evening I fairly shook with cold.
"November 7.—Morning, early ; not a cloud to be
seen ; air fresh, and temperature delicious. At break-
fast the thermometer showed the heat to be 70 degs. ;
but the breeze soon dropped, and at about 1 o'clock the
quicksilver stood at 96 degs. in the shade. Lay gasping,
with nothing but duck and canvas about me. Did no-
thing but drink water, lemonade, gingerbeer, and cold
tea. Oranges 10d. a piece:

" November B.—Heat abated, not above 84 degs. ;
the day following it fell to 72 degs., and in the evening
to 58 degs.
"Then came a succession of hot days. 11tOnday, 94
degs. in the shade ; Tuesday, 96 degs. In the shade ;
Wednesday. 94 degs. ; then a few moderate aays • then
degs,, degs. in
84be
idnerr. ,
00 degs, and 58 degs. ;
moderate again for a few
days ; then cold ; then hot
tthhreeseh successivead andthdeany
again, 96 degs., 96 dr
..gs 96 degs. in the shade ; then
days, at
76 degs., 76 dep... then 84 degs. ; then 64 dogs., and
very wet ; tLes. IGO degs. in the shade, with hot wind,
sending
dew& of infinitesimally small sand that found a
way tWoftgh everything ; in the evening the wind
ilitte4, and all night long the rain poured in torrents ;
:woke in a temperature of 62 degs., which diminished
the next day to 55 degs.
"December 30.—Another hot wind, day and night.
" December 31.—Worse. Thermometer rose to 110
degs. in the shade, and 130 degs. in the sun. Sky dark,
with sand clouds rushing over our heads. Tents blOwn
down by hot blast. Some people died from the heat and
suffocation. Mouth full of dust.
"January 8, 1853.—Mercury at 64 degs. ; cold and
rain.

" January 9.—Mercury at 60 degs. ; colder, and much
more rainy. _ _ _

"January 10.—Mercury at 54 degs. all day, with
rain. Great coats and gloves. Several blankets at
night. Tents blown down by cold blast, &c."
The writer of the dairy from which tha above is ex-
tracted is Mr. W. H. Archer, who was recently an asso-
ciate or assistant of Mr. Nelson, the actuary.

Being at the country-house yesterday (Jan. 9) of Mr.
John Orr, merchant, a shower of rain and hail drove us
out of the garden. Expressing my surprise at the strange-
ness of the summer, and remarking that all the fine
things which had been said in England about the beauty
of the climate in Australia were, probably, with refer-
ence to Sydney, or to Adelaide (South Australia), I was
at once assumed by Mr. Orr and several other gentle-
men present that the variations of the temperature in
winter were quite as severe. On the 26th of November
(1862) there way a hailstorm iu Sydney which deniclishod

all the windows of houses and churches that lay in its
course. The hailstones were commonly the size of large
greengages "dike those" (pointing to a plate-full on the
table), and many " quite as large as those peaches ;"
that is, about seven inches and a half in circumference.
In Sydney the thermometer was continually.at 130 deg.
in the sun, and in Adelaide it was sometimes 140 deg.
As for the hot dust blast (called a " brickflelder"), they
had it just as bad at both those places. It would thus
appear that one "heaven upon earth" is about as ob-
jectionable as another.
The complaints of the country are influenza, diarrhcea,
dysentery, boils, eye-blight, consumption, and a strange
sort of cough, which the people, for the want of a more
appropriate name call the guitar." All of these are
very prevalent, scarcely anybody escaping one or more
of them.

In the cemetery north of the town I noticed no less
than eight grave-diggers at work the other day. The
quantity of recently made graves of children and young
people is extraordinary. By the simple record on the
little wooden tablets you may count at least 100 deaths
of young children, young people, and adults under the
age of 35 or 40, for one ofthe age of 60. But, recol-
lecting the blunder some of our statistical men made in
England, when they endeavoured to show that Green-
wich must be a very healthy place from the great num-
ber of deaths, showing periods of life varying from 60
to 70 and upwards (forgetting that so many never came
to Greenwich till they were old men), nothing very con-
clusive can be deduced from the above circumstance, as
the very great majority of the people who come out
here are under the age of 30 or 40. The thermometer
of Australian enterprise cools at 40, gets very cold at
50, and freezes at 60. Fortunate that it does so, since
the severe and capricious changes of temperature would
soon cut off those who were at all " shaky" or touched
by the warning hand of ailing age.
A word on the other side. We must distinguish be-
tween "climate" and "weather." The variations are
not always so bad. Captain Wright, the chief gold
commissioner, who has been here these 14 years, assured
me that this was "an unusual summer." Other resi-
dents of long standing have said the same. So much
cohland rain in summer are not common. All the rest
is but too common. Nevertheless, I do not consider
the climate as unhealthy. It is good for strong and for
perfectly healthy people. There is no miasma. Men
go mad from various causes, but dogs never go mad
here. No virulent fevers or agues are incidental to the
place (though they are being regularly manufactured by
-the horse and bullock slaughterers' yards, cesspools,
want of all under-ground drainage, over-population,
&c.) ; and, even with regard to the various epidemics
and other complaints which are incidental, some persons
have but slight attacks, and a few escape altogether. I
do not believe one could sleep at night in the open air
in England and be drenched to the skin with the same
impunity as in Australia. But everybody cannot do
this. There are plenty of rheumatics, sore throats, and
"guitars" in consequence. The troops of the Victoria
Gold Escort use no tents in camping out at night, and
the troopers complain bitterly, Their horses often die
from it. One of mine died. Many parts of Australia
would be fatal, I should think, to anybody with pul-
monary weakness. Yet consumptive patients are sent
out hero.

Science declares that Australia is a most ex-
quisite climate. Well, let us be just to science,
though we suffer meantime. Science cannot do away
with the hot wind, or simoom, but the dust, which is
the worst part of it, may be the consequence of
the present wild and uncultivated condition of the
country. If the fields were tilled and the roads
macadamized there would certainly be a great diminu-
tion of the dust which is now swept from them. But
this must be a work of considerable time. At present
Plutus stands in his own light, and can see nothing but
himself. The soil and climate readily produce all sorts
of fruits and flowers ; they cannot, however, be com-
pared to those in England for flavour or for beauty.
Here the fruit grows almost wild, and prodigal in quan-
tity. Cultivation would probably greatly improve the
flavour, and the same may be said of vegetables gene-
rally, which at this time are wretched objects. It
should moreover, be admitted, that if you will forego
all residence in towns and villages, and dwell among the
vast solitudes of field and bush, some 200 or 300 miles
up the country, you will there find a climate that may
often justify science in many of the deductions which
have so deceived those who very naturally applied them
to Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide.
The only realty satisfactory period of the day is the
early morning when fine ; and fine mornings, from sun-
rise, about six o'clock, to about eight, are not unusual.
The air is then clear, light, dry, fresh, and a cool bright-
ness pervades the whole atmosphere and surroundinn.
scenery. After this, the day may be anything. The
sunsets are often magnificent in crimson masses of all
gradations, floating over changeful fields of fiery gold,
with pale emerald lakes and flames between. Though
the twilight is of very brief duration, the heavens pre-
sent a grave scenery of fading purple in grand well-
defined designs, which in the clear solitudes of the bush
suggest the profoundest melancholy by their associations
with intense beauty and the loneliness of death. But
the air is generally cold, and what we understand in
England by a "sweet summer evening" is comparatively
unknown in Australia.—Tiracs' Correspondent.

by the savages to blind their pursuers. About 4 miles
from where the murder was committed the first camp
was found. Leaves of books, pieces of dress, and other
articles were found near the camp fire, so as to leave no
doubt in the minds of the guides that they were upon
the right track. The next morning it appeared that the
Indians had separated into several small bands, taking
different directions, and after travelling some distance
in this way the parties unite again at a concerted point.
After travelling, sometimes nearly a day, without dis-
covering the least sign, a piece of calico, a shoe, or some
object would be seen by the guides, as certain evidence
that Mrs. White was still living, and that she had hopes
of being delivered from her dreadful captivity. Every
camp that the Indians had left for 15 days was discovered
in a distance of 200 miles. On the 16th day the guides,
after crossing Red River two or three times, following
the winding and circuitous trail of the Indians, dis-
covered a camp which had apparently been left that
morning, as a fire was still burning in the ashes. After
travelling a few miles objects were seen in the distance
which all thought to be Indians, but, after a severe chase
of several miles, they were discovered to be wild horses,
when the troops again returned to the trail. After tra-
velling 15 miles further an Indian was seen making for
the river. A halt was instantly ordered for the moun-
tain howitzer to come up, the Indian camp being in sight.
While the troops remained in this position two Indians
were distinctly seen to plant their ramrods, and take de-
liberate aim at their pursuers. One of the bullets struck
Major Grier in the left breast, directly over the heart ;
and but for the fact of his having, fortunately for him-
self, placed his heavy leathern gloves in the breast of his
coat, he would instantly have been killed. As it was,
the ball passed through his coat, the gloves, and his
shirt, but did not penetrate the skin. The other bullet
killed a horse standinc, close by. There were about 40
warriors, a large number of women and children, and,
besides the animals in use, 100 head of loose stock in the
village. While the command was halted, waiting for
the howitzer, the Indians succeeded in making their
escape with all the stock belonging to them. A strag-
gling Indian was killed, and the troops returned to the
village, after an unsuccessful charge. The body of Mrs.
White was found, about 300 yards from the village, with
an arrow passed directly through her heart. It was
still warm ! It was evident that the Indians had tried
to force her to accompany them in their flight, and she
had probably resisted, hoping that she would be rescued
from her horrid situation. Her little daughter was never
seen. She had been killed and thrown over into the
deep canons' of Red River. ,The black woman was
killed the day after her captivity, the bones and hair
having been seen a short distance from the point of
rocks. The body of Mrs. White was laid out, wrapped
in buffalo robes and lodge skins, and buried near the
camp. Fearing the Indians might return and discover
her burial-place, all the combustible matter that could
be gathered was placed over the grave and burnt, and
the prairie set on fire. The troops returned to Taos
after this unsuccessful expedition, having been out 25
days, and encountered one of the most violent snow-
storms ever known on the plains. Mr. Quin, who had
been engaged in packing provisions for the expedition,
lost 17 of his mules by being frozen to death. No-
thing further was heard of these Indians until the
10th of May following, when the mail coming from
the United States was attacked by them near
Red River. The snail party consisted of Messrs.
Thomas Flournoy, Benjamin Shaw, John Duty, Francis
Hendrickson, James Clay, Moses Goldstein, Mr. Bran-
ton, and others, names not recollected, making 11 in all.
The fight appears to have commenced early in the morn-
ing, near Red River, and continued all day along the
road, until they reached the waggon mound, about 25
miles. The whole party of Americans were whipped
out.' Five Apaches and four Utabs were killed, and
buried near a lake in the vicinity of the waggon mound.
A large number of Indians were wounded. It was a
dreadful fight,' said one of the Indians, for there were
11 Americans to fight, and they fought like wolves.' Ten
days afterwards news reached Los Vegas, the nearest
military post, and a lieutenant was ordered to proceed
with 30 men to bring the dead, and to pursue and
punish the Indians. Near the waggon mound two
mules were found dead at the tongue of the mail wag-
gon, the harness having been stripped off and carried
away. Three other mules and two American horses
were found dead in the road, in a distance of about three
miles. The other animals belonging to the party were
probably run off by the Indians. The waggon body was
stuck full of Apache and Utah arrows. The mail bag
was cut open, and letters and papers were scattered
along the road for two miles. The trunks vi ere broken
open, and their contents carried away. A receipt was
found in the road, showing that 40 pairs of revolving
pistols had been given by Major Ogden, at Fort Leaven
worth, to Mr. Clay. All the bodies of the murdered
men were found lying within a distance of 20 yards, two
of them having been lanced while sitting inside of the
waggon. The flesh was nearly all stripped off their
bones by the wolves. The bodies were buried near
where they were found, and the letters and papers
gathered up and taken to Santa F 4, and the troops re-
turned to Los Vegas, being unable to find the Indians.
This was the last expedition against the Jicarillas
Apaches, and not a serious complaint has been entered
against them since."

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

CUSTOM-HOUSE, JUNE 11.

ENTERED INIVARDS.—The Rose, from Hamburgh ; Les
Amis, Rouen; Julius Caesar, Dantzic ; Conservative,
Mauritius ; Rosins', Amsterdam ; Amelia Thompson, Ja-
maica ; Elizabeth and Catherine, Dram ; Oscar, Stettin ;
Ann, Randers; Eliza Fox, St. IThes ; Lady Kenmore,
Callao ; Friends, Rouen : Eagle, do. ; Thomas and Wil-
liam, Porto Rico ; Kitty's Wave, Caen ; Crown, Ibralia ;
Frau Gibko, Leer; Alabama, Cronstadt ; Anto;ia Maria,
Bremen; St. Jacob, Dantzic; Stadt Berlin, do.; PrOven , Aal
borg; Hannah, Oporto ; Quarry Maid, Dantzic ; Vi ttoriosa,
Constantinople ; William Alexander, Dunkirk ;
Heinrich, New York ; Auguste, Dantzic ; 2deline,
Randers ; Crocus, Rouen ; Cinderella, Dragomestre ;
Salem, Charente ; Industry. Antwerp ; Cynthia, Pernam-
buco ; Santiago, 'Monte Video ; Sydney Claude, Stettin ;
Jane Ewing, Calcutta ; Violet, Lisbon ; Josephine, Charles-
ton ; Ocean, Stettin ; Ernest Auguste, Memel ; Admiral
Von Heemskirk, Amsterdam ; Warner, Hamburg.

ENTERED OUTWARDS FOR LOADING.—The Conserva-
tive, for Mauritius; Rockcliff, Calcutta; James, Antigua;
Brilliant, Santa Cruz and Grand Canary ; Propontis, Mau-
ritius and Ceylon. ; Seelemo, Demerara ; Dublin, Trinidad;
Konigin, Rio Janeiro ; Thomas Henry, Demerara ; Diana,
Altona ; Captain., Cape of Good Hope and Bombay.
CLEARED Ourwmins WITH CARGO.—The Victoria, for
New York ; Blackfric.r, Sydney, Now South Wales ;
Union, Dantzic ; Harmony, Labrador; Velociforce, Genoa ;
Jenne Louis Fanny, Rouen ; Brilliant, Geelong ; Cynthia,
Portland Bay ; Reenann Engelkens, Melbourne ; Propon-
tis; Cape of Good Hope and Madras ; Gebroeder, Alton& ;
Maria Cristina, Santander, &c. ; Argus, Terceira • Caro-
lina, Stettin ; Perseverance, Leer ; Walcheren, gydney,
Nov South Wales.