nded with the same thick squally weather, and perhaps a gale
from the north-west, which ushered in the westerly monsoon.

(*Footnote. The natives of the neighbouring Prince of Wales Island
distinguish the dry season (aibu or the fine weather) the wet (kuki or
the North-West wind which then prevails) and the period of change
(malgui) equivalent to our Spring and Autumn.)

WINDS.

Our own experience of the winds during our last stay at Cape York, at the
period when the change of the monsoon was to be expected, may be summed
up as follows. During the month of October the trade-wind prevailed,
keeping pretty steady at East-South-East, and generally blowing rather
strongly, with hazy weather and an occasional shower. For three days in
the middle of the month we experienced light north-westerly winds dying
away again in the evening, and on the 25th a violent squall from the same
quarter accompanied by very heavy rain rendered it expedient that the
ship should next day be moved a cable's length further offshore. During
the four last days in the month we had calms and light winds from the
northward of east, as if the trade were about to cease, but it commenced
afresh and continued until the 26th of November, generally very moderate,
with fine weather. During the last six days of our stay we had light airs
from about North-West, succeeded in the evening by a slight puff of
south-easterly wind followed by a calm lasting all night. Last year,
during the month of October, we experienced no northerly or westerly
winds, but a moderate trade prevailed throughout, pretty steady at
East-South-East, but varying much in strength.

TEMPERATURE.

In a place situated like Cape York, only about 640 miles distant from the
equator, the atmospheric temperature may be expected to be very high;
still the heat, although occasionally very oppressive for a time, caused
very different sensations from those experienced during the almost
stifling calms of Port Essington. At Cape York, however, calms seldom
lasted above a few hours, as from its peninsular position the land
receives the full influence of nearly every breeze. An abstract of the
thermometrical observations made on board the Rattlesnake shows the
following results:

COLUMN 1: DATE.
COLUMN 2: AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES AND MINUTES.
COLUMN 3: AVERAGE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES AND MINUTES.
COLUMN 4: AVERAGE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES AND MINUTES.

October 1848 : 81 : 85 :