AUCKLAND AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 636, 19 May 1852, Page 3

AUCKLAND AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD.

Chapter 111. The Climate ; its salubrity — Superiority over Continental Climates — Comparison vAth the Climate and Weather of England — Season for Fruits and Flowers — Temperature, £c., of the various Months. The climate of New Zealand, though 'undoubtedly good, has been described injudiciously, and without discrimination. Beautiful, delightful, and splendid, are the epithets which have commonly been applied to it. These terms naturally convey the impression of an atmosphere rarely disturbed by wind or rain. Until its true value comes to be appreciated by them, strangers are at first somewhat rudely disenchanted by finding that their imaginary Paradise can be visited, and that, too, rather roughly, by the winds and rains of Heaven. This disenchantment frequently takes place at an early period ; for it not uncommonly happens that vessels enter the Harbour in a gale of wind. Impatient to view the promised land, the new-comer, in spite of the weather, lands without delay. Wading along a sloppy clay road, in a boisterous gale of wind and rain, with, perhaps an_ umbrella turned inside out in one hand, and his hat jammed tightly over his head with the other, he can scarcely divest himself of the idea that the ship must have lost her reckoning, and mistaken her port. Pride, however, prevents him asking questions, and politene&s forbids disparaging remarks. But in New Zealand, as elsewhere, a storm is followed by a calm ; and if disenchanted to-day, the new arrival will probably be charmed to-morrow by one of those calm, bright, and lovely mornings, whose beauty no language can fittingly describe. The fact is that the climate of a country may be fertile and salubrious, and such is the climate of New Zealand, without being either splendid or delightful. The general salubrity of the climate of New Zealand has now been established by the experi - encc of years. For persons of delicate constitution, predisposed to disease of the lungp, it is unequalled, save by Madeira. Compared with

that of Nice, one of the most celebrated continental climates, the climate of Auckland is more temperate in summer — milder in the winter — equally mild in the spring— but a little colder in the autumn :— with this advantage, too, over all the boasted continental climates, that it is not so liable to the very great variations of temperature common to them all from sudden shifts of wind. The climate of New Zealand is doubtless less charming and delightful than that of Italy and the South of France, but it is certainly more salubrious, and probably better suited to the English constitution", generally, than even the climate of Madeira. For although it has its share of wind, rain, and broken weather, it has the advantnge over Italy and France, in being more limited in range of temperature— embracing a less oppressive summer heat, and less sudden changes of temperature during the twenty-four hours, and a more gradual change of temperature from month to month. Many of the Continental and Mediterranean climates are, during certain seasons of the year, finer, steadier, more agrocable than, and equally salubrious as, that of New Zealand, but their summer heat is in some cases too great ; their autumn weather frequently unhealthy — winter, too cold — and spring objectionable from being liable to gusts of cold and chilling winds. Bymoving constantly about throughout the yeartraversing continents and seas, it would no doubt be possible to be always in a fine and salubrious climate. But, as a fixed and permanent rcsi deuce, there are probably few places to be found, in all respects, more suitable to the English constitution than New Zealand ; and if that bo so, then, few more suitable for persons of delicate chest or lungs ; the true theory being, that for preventing the dcvelopement of diseases of the chest, that is the best climate which will admit of the greatest and most constant exposure to the open air, and which is at the same time best calculated to promote the general health ; a tendency to disease of any kind being best warded off by keeping the bodily system in a vigorous tone of health. Compared with Great Britain, New Zealand, so far as its general salubrity can be ascertained, possesses a marked superiority. From the results of observations made by Dr. Thomson, of the 58th Regiment, for a period of two years, from April 1848, to April 1850, when the strength of the troops stationed in the colony 'amounted to nearly two thousand men, it appears from the following valuable tables compiled by him, that, taking diseases generally, out of every thousand men, twice as many were admitted into Hospital in England as were admitted into hospital in New Zealand. And the mortality, amongst equal numbers treated j was about 8} in New Zealand to 14 in England, j Cases of fever in New Zealand are rare. From the same Eeturns, it appears there are six cases of fever in Great Britain for one in New Zealand: and out of forty-seven cases in New Zealand there was but one death. Of diseases of the lungs, three cases were admitted into hospital in Great Britain to one in New Zealand ; and out of an equal number treated, seven terminated fatally in Great Britain, and but four in New Zealand. Diseases of the stomach and bowels are more prevalent by half in Great Britain tlian in New Zealand. Diseases of the liver and brain are nearly the same in the two countries. The only class of cases in which the comparison is unfavourable to New Zealand are complaints of the eye, which are more than twice as numerous here as they are in j Great Britain. ! Small-pox and measles are as yet unknown in New Zealand.

Comparing New Zealand with the healthiest Foreign stations of the British army, it will appear from the following table, compiled by the same authority, taking into account all classes of disease receiving Hospital treatment, that the comparison is greatly in favour of this country. And with reference to pulmonary disease, there are in Malta two cases for one in New Zealand. In the lonian Islands there are three cases to two in this country. At the Cape of Good Hope there are ten cases for six in New Zealand. In the Mauritius there are the fewest number of cases treated after New Zealand — the proportion being about eight in the Mauritius to six in New Zealand ; but the mortality from pulmonary disease is twice as great in the Mauritius as it is in New Zealand. While in Australia there are twice as many cases of pectoral disease as in New Zealand, and the disease being, at the same time, twice as fatal : —

In cases of Fever, there arc at least five in Malta, the Cape, and in Australia, lo one in New Zealand. Of Complaints of the Liver, there are two cases in the above-mentioned places to one in New Zealand. And of diseases of the Slomach and Bowels,

thcve arc more than two cases at, cacli of the abo^ c mentioned places for one in this country.

But assuming the above Returns to shew correctly the comparative healthiness of our troops in Great Britain, and at the various Foreign Stations, it does not necessarily follow that they correctly exhibit the comparative salubrity of the climates of the countries to which they relate, so far at least as regards the community at large — and for this reason, that our troops are for the most part lodged in barracks ; and that the health of the men is influenced by the manner in which they are lodged, as well as by the climate of the country in which they may be stationed; and that barracks vary considerably in the several important particulars of size, ventilation, construction, and position. This result, therefore, might easily follow — that men stationed in a bad climate but lodged in barracks erected on a well chosen site, spacious, dry, well ventilated, well drained, and supplied with good water, may have fewer hospital cases and less mortality, than men stationed in a good climate, but lodged in barracks in a bad situation, close confined, ill drained, and badly constructed. But, making allowance for all such disturbing causes, there can be no doubt that the foregoing Tables afford satisfactory proof of the general salubrity of the country. Compared with an English summer, that of Auckland is but little warmer, though much ] longer. But the nights in New Zealand are always cool and refreshing, and rest is never lost from the warmth and closeness of the night. It is also much warmer here both in the spring and autumn ; and the winter weather of England, from the middle of November to the middle of March, with its parching easterly winds, cold, fog, and snow, altogether unknown. Snow, indeed, is never seen here : ice, very thin and very rarely ; and hail is neither common nor destructive. The winter, however, is very wet, but not colder than an English April or October. There is a greater prevalence of high winds, too, than is personally agreeable : but with less wind the climate would not be more healthy. There is most wind in the spring and autumn ; rather less in the summer ; and least of all in winter. Compared with the climate of "Wellington, that of Auckland is a few degrees warmer both in summer and winter : the air here, too, being somewhat more soft and genial. Auckland has less wind than Wellington — but more rain. A better climate than that of either Auckland or Wellington is to be found in the Bay of Plenty, and along the East Coast of the broadest part of the Northern Island where the weather is steadier and more settled, with much loss wind and rain. The Seasons are the reverse of those in England. Spring commences in September ; Summer in December ; Autumn in April ; and Winter in the middle of June. In the Summer, during settled weather, a calm commonly prevails until about ten or eleven o'clock in the morning : the heat is then moderated by a brisk sea breeze from the north, which dies away at sunset. Fruits, flowers, and vegetables, all thrive well ; but owing perhaps to their more rapid growth, or, *t may be that the same amount of care and attention has not yet been paid to the choice of stocks, and to their cultivation and management as in England, the flowers are rather less highly scented, and the fruits and vegetables less highly flavoured than at home. Cultivated flowers blow quickly ; their colour is fine, and no word but profusion can describe their quantity. Figs, peaches, grapes, and melons, ripen in the open air. Gooseberries and currants succeed better in the south, the climate being colder. Strawberries are in season in November, December, and January ; cherries and gooseberries in January ; apples, pears, plums, peaches, and nectarines in February; and melons, figs and grapes, in March and April. The Geranium, Arum, Fuscia, Balsam, Myrtle, Coronella, Ilydrangia, Heliotrope, and Gladiola, and Cape Bulbs of every kind, enjoy a vigorous existence in the open air, and roses blow without ceasing. In the winter, long continued heavy rain is frequent, and the wet appears even more excessive than it is, because the paths and bye-roads as yet continue in their natural state, having their clayey surface unformed, unpaved, and undrained. In the intervals between the heavy winter rains, the weather is bright, clear, and bracing, — the growth of grass is scarcely ever checked by the winter cold, — and the Geranium, Stock and Wall Flower, Scarlet Verbena and Daisey, Indian May and other flowers, may be seen to blow throughout the coldest season ; and the face of the cultivated country, with its ever springing pastures, and ever-green trees, looks as bright and cheerful between the rains — on a sunny winter's day — as on an English summer landscape. More rain falls in Auckland than in England, taking an average of the whole country. But theie are more fine dry days in Auckland than in the Northern and Western districts of England. Fogs are rarely seen here; thunder storms are less common and less violent than in England, and lightning, 1 hough common, is generally harmless. ■ The days are an hour shorther in the summer and an hour longer in the winter than in England. Of twilight there is little or none. The prevailing winds are the S.W. and the N.E., the latter being always the warmer of the two, but it commonly freshens into a gale. By observers of the weather, it is thought that theN.E. gales occur more frequently within a day or two after the full and change of the moon than at any other time. These gales, after blowing for about forty- eight hours, cease suddenly when the wind chops round to the S. W., and the weather becomes clear and bright. With the wind at S.W. or S., the weather is commonly steady — settled nne,or settled wet. With the wind at W. or N. W., it is almost always showery, squally, and unsettled. Westerly winds fall in the evening. Occasionally the wind blows from the S. S. E. With the wind in that quarter, the weather is commonly cold, chilly, and wet. A .shift of wind usually follows the course of the sun : when the wind shifts in an opposite direction settled weather is not expected. In all seasons, the beauty of the day is in the early morning. A* that time, generally, a solemn stillness holds, and a perfect calm prevails : not a sound is heard— not a bieath is stining, as the rays of the rising sun are gently stealing o'er a world at rest. Every object breathes repose; and the peaceful landscape, softly sleeping, sufl'uscd with golden light suggests an image of the world before its fall. C To be continued J

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