Before setting forth the diiferent answers in response to
this, it will be desirable to refer briefly to the term " hu-
midity." The humidity of the atmosphere is defined as the
degree of its approach to saturation. Air completely saturated
is represented by 100, and that absolutely free of vapour by 0.
As a matter of fact, however, the latter never occurs ; even in
the driest regions of Arabia a humidity of 10 per cent, is almost
unknown. For its estimation the Wet and Dry Bulb thermo-
meters are employed. These consist of two ordinary thermo-
meters. One has its bulb exposed so as to register the
temperature of the air. The bulb of the other is covered
with muslin ; this latter material being kept wet through
its connection with a cotton wick dipping into a vessel of
water. The water ascends from this vessel by capillary
attraction, spreads over the muslin, and evaporates quickly
THE CLIMATE OF AUSTRALIA. 11
or slowly, according to the dryness or moistness of the
atmosphere. Thus when the air is driest the difference
between the two thermometers will be greatest, and, on the
contrary, when it is completely saturated with moisture the
two readings will be almost identical.
New South Wales. — A considerable part of the colony,
forming the western plains, is subject to great heat, caused,
no doubt, by the sun's great power on treeless plains, and
the almost total absence of cooling winds; yet, although in
summer the temperature here frequently rises over 100°,
and sometimes up to 120°, owing to the cold at night
and in winter the mean temperatures are not greater than
those of corresponding latitudes in the northern hemi-
sphere. This region of the colony is remarkably dry, and
stock of all kinds thrive well and are very free from
disease. At Bourke, the driest place in the colony, the
humidity for a long series of years is — in the spring 54°,
in the summer 49°, in the autumn 61°, and in the winter
74°. At Sydney the humidity in the spring is 69°,
in the summer 70°, in the autumn 79°, and in the
winter 70°.
Victoria. — The humidity of the air of Melbourne is low,
the average being 71 per cent. In the summer it falls to 65,
and on hot days is generally very low. The characteristic
of our hot weather is that it is usually extremely dry ; the
exceptions are very few, and occur in the late spring and
early autumn during thundery, muggy weather. On the
hottest days, with north winds, the dryness makes the heat
much more endurable, and the humidity frequently falls to
between 30 and 40 per cent.
South Australia. — Attention has already been drawn to
the fact that the hot, dry air met with on the Adelaide
plains is far more endurable than a lower temperature in
which the atmosphere is surcharged with aqueous vapour.
S. 1003. B
18 THE AUT of living IN AUSTRALIA.
A damp atmosphere is a rare thing in South Austrah'a
during the summer, though in March there are at times
some warm and humid days. In the winter the air for
the most part is dry, although the nights are often damp.
The Mount Lofty ranges, close to Adelaide, afford a cool
retreat ; they have a ^•ery large rainfall, in some yeara
over 50 inches. The climate at Mount Gambier, in the
south-eastern part of the colony, is cooler and damper ;
it has also a much heavier rainfall than the Adelaide
plains.
Page 23
Presented as published in 1893. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Before setting forth the diiferent answers in response to this, it will be desirable to refer briefly to the term " humidity." The humidity of the atmosphere is defined as the degree of its approach to saturation. Air completely saturated is represented by 100, and that absolutely free of vapour by 0. As a matter of fact, however, the latter never occurs ; even in the driest regions of Arabia a humidity of 10 per cent, is almost unknown. For its estimation the Wet and Dry Bulb thermometers are employed. These consist of two ordinary thermometers. One has its bulb exposed so as to register the temperature of the air. The bulb of the other is covered with muslin ; this latter material being kept wet through its connection with a cotton wick dipping into a vessel of water. The water ascends from this vessel by capillary attraction, spreads over the muslin, and evaporates quickly
or slowly, according to the dryness or moistness of the atmosphere. Thus when the air is driest the difference between the two thermometers will be greatest, and, on the contrary, when it is completely saturated with moisture the two readings will be almost identical.
New South Wales. — A considerable part of the colony, forming the western plains, is subject to great heat, caused, no doubt, by the sun's great power on treeless plains, and the almost total absence of cooling winds; yet, although in summer the temperature here frequently rises over 100°, and sometimes up to 120°, owing to the cold at night and in winter the mean temperatures are not greater than those of corresponding latitudes in the northern hemisphere. This region of the colony is remarkably dry, and stock of all kinds thrive well and are very free from disease. At Bourke, the driest place in the colony, the humidity for a long series of years is — in the spring 54°, in the summer 49°, in the autumn 61°, and in the winter 74°. At Sydney the humidity in the spring is 69°, in the summer 70°, in the autumn 79°, and in the winter 70°.
Victoria. — The humidity of the air of Melbourne is low, the average being 71 per cent. In the summer it falls to 65, and on hot days is generally very low. The characteristic of our hot weather is that it is usually extremely dry ; the exceptions are very few, and occur in the late spring and early autumn during thundery, muggy weather. On the hottest days, with north winds, the dryness makes the heat much more endurable, and the humidity frequently falls to between 30 and 40 per cent.
South Australia. — Attention has already been drawn to
the fact that the hot, dry air met with on the Adelaide
plains is far more endurable than a lower temperature in
which the atmosphere is surcharged with aqueous vapour.
S. 1003. B
18 THE AUT of living IN AUSTRALIA.
A damp atmosphere is a rare thing in South Australia during the summer, though in March there are at times some warm and humid days. In the winter the air for the most part is dry, although the nights are often damp. The Mount Lofty ranges, close to Adelaide, afford a cool retreat ; they have a very large rainfall, in some yeara over 50 inches. The climate at Mount Gambier, in the south-eastern part of the colony, is cooler and damper ; it has also a much heavier rainfall than the Adelaide plains.