The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-08-21
HOT Winds OF 1USTR1LTA.

A correspondent of the Alta California
gives a graphic account of the hot winds of
Australia It makes one gasp for breath
to read it He says "The colonists OF
Victoria and New South Wales boast of the
great beauty of their climate. Il d'Ncrip-
ton Of the hot winds, which are 50 bolster
ously prevalent there during short periods
of the summer months, and which are very
extraordinary in their character and eff
fects, will help to show how far the boast
is justified. A misty smoke darkens the
atmosphere, which feels SO oppressively
hot as to render breathing at once labor
ious and painful. Tho sun shines with a
lurid glare far hotter than when in open
b-iliiancy, and presenting to the eye the
appearance of a full moon behind a aeecy
cloud. Dogs crawl along with their parch-
ed tongues dangling almost to the ground
aud horses move on with dropping heads
aud convulsive gasps. All kinds of vege-
tatiou first hang their tendrls, then shrivel
up, and finally yield 20 premature decay.
And as the burning sirrocco increases
apace, and thick clouds of dust dessicate
the air, animal and vegetable life would
seem to be threatened with total destruc-
ton. Cattle of every description often
succumb to incalescent exhaustion and die
by the road side fields of grain, which in
the morning were fresh and green, become,
before evening, yellow as with the ripeness
of maturity, but in reality, stunted and
singed by the fiery influences prevailing
trees yielding their sap to the slakeless
temperature, rapidly incinerate and cast
of their but recently luscious fruit, and
flowers pass through all the gradations of
growth and development-form into bud,
open into bloom, and drop their leaves in
the cauldron around, in less than n day
All nature, in fact, would appear for the
time to be trying experiments in theImol- |
cgy, totally ind .fferent about health and |
life. The igneous elements, so wildly ca !
reering suggest nothing but encircling vol |
canoes pouring forth and scattering around |
their burning lava, reduced to scintilIant |
powder.
''It is a scourge of the most destructive
character. Outdoor business life is vir-
tua-.y suspended, and the few people NOV
ing about are every moment employed in
wiping of the profuse dusty prespiration
that streams down their faces. Cafes ard I
hotels swarm like beehives with languid,
thirsty men and the numerous iced bev- !
erages drank would astonisll the most cred
ulous. So hour after hour passes, the heat
in intensity, and thirst becoming
more universal and Unsuitable.
'In-door life is alone endurabIe: and
rooms so carefully deprived of air and light
rs to give them in any other weather a
nigh fever temperature, are now com par
atively cool. The external aspect of houses
is sombre and funereal, every shutter and
door being closed, and the occupants
lounge gasp and sigh most piteousy.
Reading is ont of the question, music is for
saken, and active amusement blank. Cen
tlenen smoke, swallow ices, and yawn
Bathing is the only thing really enjoyable,
and amphibiousness becomes almost a hu-
man attribute. While these terrible hot
winds prevail, entire crops are sometimes
destroyed, homesteads burnt, aud MANY |
lives lost. Fortunately they do not last
more than two or three days at time,
life and property would be so in
secure as to render living an Investment in
the Colonies undesirable in the extreme -