The Nor'-Westers Are Vulgarly
Supposed To Cause Freshes Simply By Melting The Snow Upon The Back
Ranges.
We, however, and all who live near the great range, and see the
nor'-wester while still among the
Snowy ranges, know for certain that
the river does not rise more than two or three inches, nor lose its
beautiful milky blue colour, unless the wind be accompanied with rain
upon the great range - rain extending sometimes as low down as the
commencement of the plains. These rains are warm and heavy, and make
the feed beautifully green.
The nor'-westers are a very remarkable feature in the climate of this
settlement. They are excessively violent, sometimes shaking the very
house; hot, dry, from having already poured out their moisture, and
enervating like the Italian sirocco. The fact seems to be, that the
nor'-west winds come heated from the tropics, and charged with moisture
from the ocean, and this is precipitated by the ice-fields of the
mountains in deluges of rain, chiefly on the western side, but
occasionally extending some distance to the east. They blow from two or
three hours to as many days, and if they last any length of time, are
generally succeeded by a sudden change to sou'-west - the cold, rainy, or
snowy wind. We catch the nor'-west in full force, but are sheltered
from the sou'-west, which, with us, is a quiet wind, accompanied with
gentle drizzling but cold rain, and, in the winter, snow.
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