Narrative Of The Overland Expedition Of The Messrs. Jardine, From Rockhampton To Cape York, Northern Queensland By Frank Jardine And Alexander Jardine
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It affords me much pleasure to have again to forward to your Excellency
a most favourable report of the climate of this settlement, and of the
uninterrupted good health of our small community, military and civil.
the dreaded summer season, with its calms, light winds and heavy rains,
has passed off without causing a single case of sickness, attributable
to noxious exhalations, which prevail at that season in most tropical
climates, but which, in my opinion, cannot exist here, owing to the
preventive causes enumerated in my letter of the 13th January last;
neither have we experienced that oppressiveness of the atmosphere which
its saturated condition at that season through the sun's direct
influence in favoring evaporation in the surrounding seas would lead one
to expect. Some slight oppressiveness was felt immediately before the
rains, but speedily disappeared on their occurrence. I can only account
for this valuable immunity by attributing it to some peculiarity of
climate, in all probability to the same causes which counteract the
evolution of noxious exhalations; for we did experience calms and very
light winds, and the hygrometer during the greater part of the time
indicated a very large amount of moisture in the atmosphere.
2. The meteorological sheets forwarded by this opportunity, contain full
particulars regarding the winds, temperature, etc., for the last four
months, and having been prepared from a series of observations,
conducted with care and regularly registered, they cannot fail, amongst
other important objects bearing on general climatology, to afford
convincing proof that, as a climate, even during the summer season, that
of Somerset, although in close proximity to the equator, possesses many
advantages not attainable in higher latitudes, and is, in my opinion,
from its mildness and equable character, especially suited for such as
may have the misfortune to be predisposed to, or suffering from,
pulmonary consumption.
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