Jan. 23, I860.] BUIST ON THE CURIA MURIA ISLANDS. 55 



elevated masses furious blasts blow down on the Curia Murias. The 

 wind is called belat or balat by the natives, by whom it is much 

 dreaded. It gives scarcely any warning of its approach, and fre- 

 quently reduces the thermometer to 50°. In June, July, and 

 August, the south-west monsoon blows with fury, and between De- 

 cember, 1835, and March, 1836, equally severe gales were experi- 

 enced by Captain Haines, some of them of great violence. In 

 February and March heavy gales from the south-west are frequent, 

 prevailing at times for five or six days on end. In May, 1503, the 

 Portuguese commander was separated from his fleet and wrecked 

 on the islands, and from the remains found by our surveyors like 

 mischances must have been frequent. On the 19th December, 

 1834, the Reliance whaler was wrecked, and the greater frequency 

 with which vessels visit these parts than formerly makes us aware 

 that this is one of the stormiest portions of the Arabian Sea. We 

 have but little information as to the falls of rain in the Curia Murias ; 

 they seem infrequent, but violent when they occur, while the utter 

 sterility of the land causes the great bulk of what falls to run off at 

 once into the sea. Dr. Hulton mentions that the setting in of the 

 north-west monsoon is occasionally attended with showers. In want 

 of specific observations, the amount of stones and gravel found 

 amongst the guano, and the almost total absence of all soluble 

 matter, unless where the manure is sheltered by caves or over- 

 hanging rocks, fully bear out the assumption I have started with.* 



The temperature of Curia Muria Bay is singularly low for that 

 latitude. During the south west monsoon, at the period of the 

 summer solstice, it seldom exceeds 80°. At Bombay, two degrees 

 farther north, it often rises above 90°. In winter it sometimes sinks 

 to 50°, a cold unknown on the seaboard of India. In 1853, H.M.S. 

 Juno was nearly dismasted in the violent hurricanes off the Curia 

 Murias, and in consequence of the tempestuousness of these seas 

 during the south-west monsoon the magnificent steamers of the 

 Peninsular and Oriental Company found themselves compelled to 

 abandon the north-western passage, even when it promised a more 

 rapid transit in June, July, and August than the southern detour 

 compelled to be taken. In the middle of April, 1855, the war 

 steamer Queen was nearly lost ; the Peninsular and Oriental Com- 

 pany's ship Malta suffered much during a violent gale south of 

 Curia Muria Bay ; and it is stated that, within seven months, we 



* A single fall of rain, such as visited the still more rainless pinnacles of Aden 

 in December, 1842, 15th July, 1848, 21st August, 1849, 28th October, 1852, in 

 September, 1853, and March, 1854, or April, 1859, would have swept away the 

 solMe elements which give guano all its commercial value, and destroyed the 

 hopes of the gatherers for years to come. 



VOL. IV. F 



