490 
rain for the neighbouring tracts, 
than would have fallen to their 
share, if the passage of the clouds 
had been unobstructed. 
The obstacle presented to the 
clouds and winds by the moun- 
tains has another effect of no 
small importance. The south- 
west monsoon blows over the 
ocean in its natural direction ; 
and, though it may experience 
some diversities after it reaches 
the land, its general course over 
India may still be said to be to- 
wards the north-east, till it is 
exhausted on the western and 
central parts of the peninsula. 
The provinces in the north-east 
receive the monsoon in a different 
manner: the wind which brings 
the rains to that part of the conti- 
nent, originally blows from the 
south-west, over the Bay of Ben- 
gal, till the mountains of Hemal- 
leh, and those which join them 
from the south, stop its progress, 
and compel it to follow their 
course towards the north-west. 
The prevailing wind, therefore, 
in the region south-west of He- 
malleh, is from the south-east, 
and it is from that quarter that 
our provinces in Bengal receive 
their rains. But when the wind 
has reached so far to the north- 
west as to meet with Hindoo 
Coosh, it is again opposed by that 
mountain, and turned off along 
its face towards the west, till it 
meets the projection of Hindoo 
Coosh and the range of Solimaun, 
which prevent its further progress 
in that direction, or at least com- 
pel it to part with the clouds with 
which it was loaded. The effect 
of the mountains in stopping the 
clouds borne by this wind, is dif- 
ferent in different places. Near 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1815 
the sea, where the clouds are 
still in a deep mass, part is dis- 
charged on the hills and the 
country beneath them, and part 
passes up to the north-west ; but 
part makes its way over the first 
hills, and produces the rains in 
Tibet. In the latitude of Cash- 
meer, where the hills are con- 
siderably exhausted, this division 
is little perceived: the southern 
face of the hills and the country 
still farther south is watered; and 
a part of the clouds continue their 
progress to Afghaunistaun ; but 
few make their way over the moun- 
tains or reach the valley of Cash- 
meer, The clouds which pass on 
to Afghaunistaun are exhausted 
as they go: the rains become 
weaker and weaker, and at last 
are merely sufficient to water the 
mountains, without much affect- 
ing the plains at their base. 
The above observations will ex- 
plain, or at least connect the fol- 
lowing facts. The south-west 
monsoon commences on the Ma- 
labar coast in May, and is there 
very violent ; it is later and more 
moderate in Mysore; and the 
Coromandel coast, covered by the 
mountainous countries on its west, 
is entirely exempt from it. Fur- 
ther north, the monsoon begins 
early in June, and loses a good 
deal of its violence, except in the 
places influenced by the neigh- 
bourhood of the mountains or the 
sea, where the fall of wafer is 
very considerable. About Delly, 
it does not begin till the end of 
June, and the fall of rain is 
greatly inferior to what is felt at 
Calcutta or Bombay. In the north 
of the Punjaub, near the hills, it 
exceeds that of Delly; but, in the 
south of the Punjaub, distant 
