328 Ohfcrvathns upon the "Monfocns. 



(which the inhabitants of colder regions tafte only in poetical 

 deltription,) breathing heahh as well as recreation. 



The twilight being ;liort under the tropics, the day, of 

 courfe, (huts in prefently after fim-fet, when cards and dice 

 become part of the evening's entertainment. Chefs, back- 

 gammon, whilt, picquet, tredrille, quinzc, and loo, are the 

 Favourite games. Thefe, with domeliic fports, antics, gam- 

 bols, tricks, pranks, and frolics, where the humour prevails; 

 together with the flights of jueolers, feats ot tumblers, (in 

 which performances the Hindus are expert adepts,) and 

 dances of the natives, wile away the time, and beguile it not 

 unpleafantlv to the hour of fupper, the print ijal meal ; when 

 a repall, enlivened by every elevation of fj)irii and kindly dif- 

 polition that can conduce to promote good humour and teltive 

 hilarity, terminates the dav. 



Thele parties generally continue, with fome variation in 

 the amufements, liftcen or twenty days; and the diffolution 

 of them is as generally lamenteil, w-ith heart-felt regret, by 

 the individuals who compofe them. 



LIII. Obfervations upon the JMorJhons, as for as they regard 

 the Conwierce and Navigattou of the Port of Bombay *. 



V^UR readers will not require to be tokl that our year is 

 divided into two grand feafons, or, as they are called, the 

 fouth-weft and north-eaft monfoon ; that the firft generally 

 prevails from May to the middle of September incluiive, the 

 other during the remaining months; yet we muft premife 

 this as an introduftion of what follows. 



We need fcarccly to obferve, that during the fouth-weft 

 monfoon all the ports and roadfteads on this fide ot India 

 deny approach ; fo much h, that between the 15th of 

 May and the ift of September fliips are precluded by their 

 policies irom touching upon the Malabar eoaft, or from lying 

 in Surat roads between the id of May and the 1 ft of Sep- 

 tember. Generally fpeaking, tlie monfoon is confidered to 

 extend from Dunder-head, the fouthern extremity of Ceylon, 

 to the Perfian Gulf; in order to attain which, they who 

 fhould fail at this fcafon would be obliged to make what is 

 called a fouthern parage, that i«, go firit to the fouth of the 

 equator before they could firetch over to thewellward; a 

 voyage that would occupy, for Mufcai about forty days, and 



■ From the AJwi'ic Annuel Regijtcr foi 1S02. 



to 

 8 



