THE INDIAN OCEAN. 357 



wind in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, by 

 which the north-east trade-wind is exchanged for 

 one directly opposite, commonly called the setting in 

 of the south-west monsoon, is attended with very 

 remarkable effects on the weather. It is the com- 

 mencement of the rainy season, which is ushered 

 in by storms of thunder, lightning, and rain, of such 

 violence, as those acquainted only with a temperate 

 climate have no conception of. Mr. Elphinstone thus 

 describes the scene on the coast of India : " The ap- 

 proach of the monsoon is announced by vast masses 

 of clouds that rise from the Indian Ocean, and 

 advance towards the north-east, gathering and thick- 

 ening as they approach the land. After some threat- 

 ening days, the sky assumes a troubled appearance 

 in the evenings, and the monsoon in general sets in 

 during the night. It is attended by such a thunder- 

 storm as can hardly be imagined by those who have 

 only seen that phenomenon in a temperate climate. 

 It generally begins with violent blasts of wind, which 

 are succeeded by floods of rain. For some hours 

 liohtnin^ is seen almost without intermission ; some- 

 times it only illumines the sky, and shows the clouds 

 near the horizon; at other times it discovers the dis- 

 tant hills, and asrain leaves all in darkness: when 

 in an instant, it reappears in vivid and successive 

 flashes, and exhibits the nearest objects in the bright- 

 ness of day. During all this time the distant thun- 

 der never ceases to roll, and is only silenced by some 

 nearer peal, which bursts on the ear with such a 

 sudden and tremendous crash as can scarcelv fail to 

 strike the must insensible heart with awe. At length 



