The Nor'-Westers Sometimes Blow Even In Mid-Winter, But Are Most
Frequent In Spring And Summer, Sometimes Continuing For A Fortnight
Together.
During a nor'-wester, the sand on the river-bed is blinding, filling
eyes, nose, and ears, and stinging sharply every exposed part.
I lately
had the felicity of getting a small mob of sheep into the river-bed
(with a view of crossing them on to my own country) whilst this wind was
blowing. There were only between seven and eight hundred, and as we
were three, with two dogs, we expected to be able to put them through
ourselves. We did so through the two first considerable streams, and
then could not get them to move on any farther. As they paused, I will
take the opportunity to digress and describe the process of putting
sheep across a river.
The first thing is to carefully secure a spot fitted for the purpose,
for which the principal requisites are: first, that the current set for
the opposite bank, so that the sheep will be carried towards it. Sheep
cannot swim against a strong current, and if the stream be flowing
evenly down mid-channel, they will be carried down a long way before
they land; if, however, it sets at all towards the side from which they
started, they will probably be landed by the stream on that same side.
Therefore the current should flow towards the opposite bank. Secondly,
there must be a good landing-place for the sheep.
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