Page:Castaway on the Auckland Isles (IA castawayonauckla01musg).pdf/57

Rh quantity of snow fell—all the ground was covered; but since midnight of Wednesday we have had a heavy gale from the W.N.W., with much rain, which still continues; but the barometer has been rising to-day. Very likely the gale will take off at midnight. I find that in the locality of these islands, as also on the coast of New Zealand, the barometer is of very little service to a stranger, and would, to say the least, lead his judgment of the weather into error, by its strange irregularities. It frequently falls below 29 inches, with light southerly airs and fine weather, which continue so long as the barometer keeps down (sometimes 60 hours); but immediately after the barometer begins to rise, and gets above 29 inches, it is followed by a gale commencing at S.W., and blowing between S.W. and N.W. for generally three days, and dies away at north. The gales following this, with a very low barometer, are the heaviest, and generally accompanied by rain, and blow with great fury. When the barometer falls to 29⋅25 and again commences to rise, a strong gale may be expected from the west, where it continues sometimes seven days, and until the barometer has risen to 30 inches, when it may be expected to die away suddenly. Again, the barometer at 29⋅50 and lowering dark weather, a N.W. or northerly gale may be expected; and these gales are accompanied by much rain, and invariably haul to the southward, and die away with a rising barometer, and are of the shortest duration. But I should recommend the stranger navigating these parts to be ruled by his own judgment, independent of the barometer; but use great caution, as these gales come on very suddenly.

The only time that the barometer can be implicitly relied upon is when it is above 30 inches. Then the weather is fine, with light airs, generally southerly, but sometimes east and north-east, which does not continue more than two or three days. After this very fine weather, a gale seldom comes on suddenly. A south-east gale, or even fresh breeze, we have not yet had. As far as my experience