WINDS. 327 



perhaps a g'ale from the north-west^ which ushered 

 in the westerly monsoon. 



Our own experience of the winds during* our last 

 stay at Cape York^ at the period when the chang-e 

 of the monsoon was to be expected^ may he summed 

 up as follows. During' the month of October the 

 trade wind prevailed^ keeping* pretty steady at 

 E. S. E.^ and g-enerally blowing* rather strongly^ 

 with hazy weather and an occasional shower. For 

 three days in the middle of the month we experi- 

 enced lig*ht north-westerly winds dying* away ag*ain 

 in the evening'^ and on the 25th a violent squall 

 from the same quarter accompanied by very heavy 

 rain rendered it expedient that the ship should next 

 day be moved a cable's length further off shore. 

 During* the four last days in the month we had calms 

 and lig'ht winds from the northward of east^ as if 

 the trade were about to cease^ but it commenced afresh 

 and continued until the 26th of November^ g*enerally 

 very moderate^ with fine weather. During* the last 

 six days of our stay we had light airs from about 

 N. W.; succeeded in the evening by a slight puff of 

 south-easterly wind followed by a calm lasting all 

 night. Last year^ during the month of October, 

 we experienced no northerly or westerly winds, but 

 a moderate trade prevailed throughout, pretty steady 

 at E. S. E., but varying much in strength. 



In a place situated like Cape York, only about 

 640 miles distant from the equator, the atmospheric 

 temperature may be expected to be very high ^ still 



