Ohfervaiions upon the Monfoons. 329 



to BufTorah about two tnonths. The fame objection exifts 

 againft laibng al this feafon to any part of the Arabian coalt. 

 As for the Red Sea, it is conlidered in vain to attempt enter- 

 inc it at this feafon ; nor can it be faid to be favourable to 

 fad now to the Cape, the Mauritius, or any port to the weft- 

 ward. 



To the other fide of India, on the contrary, it is now the 

 molt advantageous period of departing. From the middle of 

 April, even to the middle of Auguft, a voyage to Madras may 

 bo made in about 12 or 15 days ; to Bengal from 15 to 20 

 davs : after this time it becomes cxceflively tedious, from the 

 neceffity of keeping to the eallern fide of the bay, to avoid 

 the violent wtather on the Coromandel coaft. For the fame 

 reafon the fouth-w^eft monfoon is eligible to leave Bombay 

 for any of the ports in the Gulf of BeTigal or the Streights of 

 Malacca; hence alfo it is the feafon for failing to China: 

 after the 20lh of Auguft, however, what is called the dire6t 

 paflatrc to China becomes very precarious, with much pro- 

 babihty of finding blowing weather in the Chinefe feas. 



With regard to'the ports from which fhips may be expefted 

 to arrive at Bombay during this monfoon, it may be laid 

 down as a general rule, that the quarters favourable to fail to 

 during any feafon, are thofe that it-is unfavourable to expcft 

 arrivals from, and t.ice verfa: hence from the Perfian Gulf, 

 the Red Sea, the Cape of Good Hope, and the weftward iu 

 general, this is the moft feafonable period to expeft arrivals: 

 from Mufcat a trip may now be made in io or 12 days, from 

 Mocha in 20 days, and Suez in about a month. It lliould 

 be remarked, that after September the Red Sea admits of no 

 egrefs; (liips confequently remaining there beyond that time, 

 muft continue there all the north-eaft monfoon, and are faid 

 to have loft their paflage : on this account, the 25th of Au- 

 guft is the lateft day to"vvhich our cruifers are allowed to re- 

 main at Suez. From the Cape a paflTage may be made in 

 five or fix weeks J from the Mauritius, in three weeks or a 

 month. 



The fouth-weft monfoon is alfo the tnoft favourable feafon 

 in which a palfage may be made from Batavia or any ports 

 to the ealtward through thefe font hern ftreights : from Ba- 

 tavia to Bombay, in particular, a paftagc may be made iu 

 about 35 days. From Madras and Bengal, during the fonth- 

 wcft monfoon, it is necellary to make the louthein pallage 

 in order to reach Bombay: this will require, in a paflage 

 from Madras, from 30 to 40 davs, and from Bengal from 

 45 I') (^o days, from llu: nc( cdilyOf woiking oiiloi the nviT, 

 and beating down the bay to clear Acheen Head. From the 



Streighls 



