wwwwww Meteorological Register during the month of August in each of the Years 1846-1851 inclusive. Year. Bar. Inches. Degrees 1846 30.015 48 22 1817 29 944 51.14 Shade Wet Rain. 53 45 50.80 BAUG. Next to July, this is the coldest month in Victoria. AUGUST in this Colony corresponds with February in Great There are more days in August on which rain falls than in any other month in the year. The average of six years gives fifteen days on which rain may be expected out of the thirty-one. The least number of wet days in August was in 1850, when it rained on ten days only; while in 1848 and 1851, rain fell during eighteen days in each year. There are sometimes thunderstorms here in August, as on 30th, 1846, when several distant peals were heard, the wind being south-west, south, and south by east. Thunder was also heard at Melbourne on 27th August, 1847, when the wind veered from north to east, and afterwards returned to north, and from that to west. The day was unusually warm, the average from observation of the Thermometer from morning till night being 60 degrees. About 10 in the morning the wind increased to a furious gale, with heavy showers of rain and hail, accompanied by peals of thunder. The warmest day in August appears to have been on the 18th, in 1849, when the Thermometer in shade, at half-past 8 in the morning, was at 70 degrees; at half-past 2 in the afternoon, it stood at 68 degrees; at sunset, 63 degrees; and at 9 in the evening, it was 62 degrees; the wind for the day being very strong from the north by east and west. There was a dense haze on the horizon. Frosts of considerable power occur twice or thrice in this month, between midnight and sunrise, and annually there are several days in August when a dense fog prevails at daybreak. On the 29th and 30th August, 1849, there was a continued heavy snowstorm in Melbourne. The winds on these days were north-north-west, north-west, south-west, south-south-west, and north-west. This in the only instance on record of snow falling in Melbourne. 29.942 50 66 51.94 3.61 W Bill passed by the B. Parl., separating P.P., now Victoria, from N.S.W., 1850. F First detachment of New Zealand Fencibles arrive at Auckland, 1847. NINTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Royal Assent given to P.P. Separation Bill, Tu W ཅ M W Van Diemen's Land first taken possession of by the British, 1803. The robbers of the Private Escort taken, three weeks after the robbery, 1853. TENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. New Post Office at Melbourne opened, 1841. Martial Law proclaimed against the Aborigines, at Bathurst, N.S.W., '1824. ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Massacres at New Zealand, 1845. 9. Public Meeting held against Transportation at Launceston, V.D.L., 1850. 20. The monthly license fee for gold digging in Victoria fixed at £1 10s., 1851. 23 Th 20. Transportation to New South Wales ceased, 1840. 24 25 26 29 ཅ M Sir C. Hotham left Melbourne to visit the Gold Fields, 1854. TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Birth of Prince Albert, 1819. W John Pascoe Fawkner, M.L.C., first encamped upon the site of Melbourne, 1835. 30 Th Torres Straits disc., 1606. Opening of augmented Leg. Council of Vict., 1853. 19. Motion for separ. of P.P. from N.S.W. rej. by Leg. Council of N.S.W., 1844. 31 F AUGUST is the eighth month of the year. It was called Sextilis by the Romans until the Senate complimented the Emperor Augustus by naming it after him. The Flemings and Germans have adopted the word August for harvest. Oogst maand, is the harvest month; and Augst wagen, a harvest waggon. The Dutch Oogsten, is to reap or gather corn. The Spaniards have the verb Agostàr, to gather in harvest; and the French have a phrase, Faire l'Aout, for "making harvest." Our Saxon ancestors, says 2. Verstegan, called it Arn-monath, or barn-moneth, intending thereby the then filling their barns with corn." DISTANCES OF THE EARTH FROM THE SUN AND MOON.-The planets and satellites moving round their primaries in elliptical orbits from west to east, it follows that the distances will vary at different times; thus, in January the Earth is about three millions of miles nearer the Sun than it is in June; but in order to prevent the destructive heat which would arise from its proximity to us, the motion of the Earth is increased, so that its centre describes a longer line in January than it does in June. The distances of the Sun and Moon from the Earth were at first determined by direct observation, and constitute the basis of Practical Astronomy in the present age. Meteorological Register during the month of Britain, being that in which the Spring Equinox for the southern September in each of the Years 1846-1851 inclusive. Rain. Degrees. Degrees. Inches. 1846 30.073 54.11 55.06 1.94 55.61 1.75 2.87 53.93 5.01 55.96 3.85 53.50 4.18 57.43 56 36 52.52 55 66 Th 2345678 13 14 15 SEPTEMBER.-This month corresponds with March in Great hemisphere takes place, and is chiefly distinguished by its being the season when the equinoctial gales prevail. It appears that the majority of the winds, during this month, blow from the northward; thus, in six years, the wind in September blew from the north for 78 days, while the total number of days it blew from the southward was but 54. The least fall of rain in September was in the year 1847, when 175 inches fell; the greatest fall was in 1849, when 5:01 inches fell. In 1846, there were but seven days in September on which rain fell; while in 1851, rain fell on twenty days during the same month. The average number of days in this month on which rain may be expected, for any year, is thirteen. In 1848, on the 13th and 14th September, there was an unusual amount of heat in the atmosphere, the Thermometer ranging from 67 to 79 degrees on both days. The wind in turns was north-west, west, north-west, north-north-west, and north-west, till about 5 in the morning of the 15th, when it suddenly chopped round and blew with great violence from the west-south-west. The approach of the gale was indicated by the sinking of the Barometer during the night from 30 to 29 inches; but as soon as the storm began, the Barometer commenced rising, and continued doing so until the morning of the 16th, when it had attained the height of 30-06 inches. In 1851, on the 2nd, while the wind was north and north-west, about 3 in the afternoon, there was an unusually heavy squall of wind, accompanied after, about mid-day, the sky suddenly became overcast, and the wind a storm of thunder and lightning, after which came fine weather. Melbourne Savings' Bank established, 1841. THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Moreton Bay Settlement estab., 1844. FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Coal discovered in W. Australia, 1846. M 30. C. J. La Trobe, Esq., arrived at Melbourne, as Super. of Port Phillip, 1839. Tu First Turnpike Gate erected in Van D. Land opened at New Town, 1848. Sale of P.P. lands at Sydney (having been withdrawn from Melbourne), 1838. Th Mining Act Amendment Bill passed, 1853. The Jewish Year 5616 begins. HOLY CROSS. 9. Methodist Missionary Society established at Melbourne, 1839. 99th Regiment arrived at Melbourne from Van Diemen's Land, 1853. FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Mining Comp. formed in W. Aus., 1846. 16. N.S.W. Association formed for preventing Transportation, 1850. 200 Germ. Immig. arr. at Adelaide, 1844. Trial and conv. of Esc. Robbers, 1853. W 20. Sir G. Gipps announces the discontin. of Transportation to N.S.W., 1840. First Emigrants arr. at Hob. Town, 1816. Melb. and Geelong Rail.com., 1853. ST. MATTHEW. [Aborigines), 1848. 17 M 18 Tu 19 20 Th 21 22 23 S 24 25 Tu ****7* 26 Mr. Kennedy left Sydney to explore the N.E. Coast of New Holland (killed by Rained for three weeks in Van Diemen's Land, 1822. A Police Magistrate and Police Establishment appointed for Geelong, 1837. 29. Capt. Hobson, H.M.S. Rattlesnake, anch. in the Bay named after him, 1836. · Th 30. Maj. Mitchell reached Mt. Macedon, and made observations on P.P., 1836. 28 F King George's Sound discovered by Vancouver, 1791. 27 29 S ST. MICHAEL. Michaelmas Day. Capt Lonsdale, Police Magis., arr. to take [charge of P.P., 1836. 30 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. SEPTEMBER is now the ninth month; formerly it was the seventh, and hence its name. The legal year in England did not commence on the first of January till the alteration of ths style in 1752. The Saxons called it gerst-monath, or barley-month. Verstegan says, "Barley was antiently called gerst; the name of barley being given unto it by reason of the drink therewith made called beer, and from beerleg it comes to be barley." He goes on to say, that "this excellent and healthsome liquor-beere antiently also called ael, as of the Danes it yet is (beere and ale being in effect the same) was first of the Germans invented and brought in use." wwwww THE SUN'S HORIZONTAL PARALLAX.-When two persons look at the same object at the same instant, each sees it in a different position; the difference between these positions is called the parallax of the object. To an eye in the centre of the Earth, any object near the horizon appears at a greater altitude than it does when viewed from any altitude above that point; therefore, parallax is said to diminish the altitude, or apparent height of the body. This difference of place on the horizon, as viewed from the surface and from the centre of the Earth, is called the horizontal, or greatest parallax. Another definition is, the angle subtended by the semi-diameter of the Earth when viewed from the Sun, or any other celestial body. Meteorological Register during the month of October in each of the Years 1846-1851 inclusive. Rain. OCTOBER.-In Victoria, this month corresponds to April in Great Britain. The height of the Barometer, on an average of six years, differs less than the thirtieth part of an inch from the mean monthly average of the entire six years. The mean fall of rain during this month is within a quarter of an inch of the mean monthly average of the same years. The average number of days in October on which rain may be expected is about seven; but in 1848, when the greatest fall took place, it rained on sixteen days, to the extent of 6:51 inches. In October, 1850, when the least quantity fell, it rained on six days. The prevailing winds during this month are from the southward, veering between the east and west points. During the six years there were ninety October days on which southerly winds blew, while there were only forty-eight days' wind from the northward. This may be regarded as the most pleasant month of the year, at least in Melbourne, because, while the days gradually increase in warmth, the ground is still moist with the heavy rains of the winter and spring; so that, although the winds blow pretty strongly, there is rarely much dust flying about. Only one instance is registered during six years of thunder having been heard in this month at Melbourne. The following is the meteorolgical record of the day in question:-October 20th, 1818, winds north-east by east, and north-west; a bright morning; clear thin cirro streaks and small dark cumuli on a bright sky; at noon the horizon, from the south to north-west, had a threatening appearance; before sunset, heavy peals of thunder, with short showers. There is likewise but one record of lightning:-October 30th, 1851, winds north-north-west and north west; morning fine; scattered cirro and cirro stratus; about 11 in the morning, cumuli rising in the north-west; at sunset, squalls were passing on the northward, and there was lightning in the south. Year. Bar. Shade Wet 1847 Inches. Degrees. Degrees, 1846 29.966 60-20 | 59.90 30.029 57.03 57.96 Inches. 1848 29.820 56.16 54.74 6.51 F S M Christ's College, V.D.L., commenced, 1846. 3. The Instructions to the Superintendent of Port Phillip publicly read, 1839. Captain Cook landed in New Zealand, 1768. 4. Foundation stone of St. Francis's, Roman Catholic Church, Melb., laid, 1841. EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFT. TRIN. 8. Gen. Pitt and staff arr, at Auckland, 1847. 5. The Stirlingshire brig arr. at Melb. with a detach. of 4th Regt., &c., 1836. NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFT. TRIN. 16. Earthquake at Wellington, N.Z., 1848. F * M Tu 24 W 18. First Melb. Elec. Com. decide F. J. Sargood, M.L.C. for Melb., instead of TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 21. Great Public Meeting at Sydney against Transportation, 1846. First Bills of Mortality for Melb. pub. by Mr. Archer, Act. Registrar Gen., 1853. 25 Th ST. CRISPIN. F S ཟ M 30 Tu Queen Victoria proclaimed at Hobart Town, 1837. 28. Treasury at Melb. burglariously entered, and iron safe carried off, 1851. TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. ST. SIMON AND ST. JUDE. 11. The Sydney University Inauguration, 1852. 28. Great fire in Collins-street, Melbourne, 1853. 31 W ALL HALLOWS' EVE. The first Publican's License issued in Melbourne, 1835. OCTOBER, in the year of Romulus, was strictly what its name implies, the eighth month. With us it is the tenth. Our Anglo-Saxon ancestors, likewise, called it Se-teotha-monath, the tenth month. They also called it Winter-fyllith, or fulleth, i.e. winter beginneth.-See" Bosworth's Saxon Dictionary," verb Monath. Verstegan says, that October had also the name of Wyn-monat, wyn signifying wine; and "albeit," he continues, "they had not anciently wines made in Germany, yet in this season they had them from divers countries adjoining.' " |