^^O Ohfervations 'upon the Monjhcns. 



Streightsof Malacca it is an arduous tafkto fail for this port, 

 or even to any one on the peninfula of India, owing to the 

 difficulty of working round Achcen Head. 



We have now to treat of the north-eait monfoon, or the 

 feafon which may be confidered as included between the 151!! 

 pt Auguft and the 15th of April ; in which the firft circuni- 

 fiance that occurs to iis to ren,ark is,, that our coaft is ren- 

 dered in a peculiar manner fecure and favouiihle ta naviga- 

 tion ; it is now confijcred the nioft eligilie period for lading 

 to the Perfian Gulf, and in oeneral to all poris to the weft- 

 ward. To Mufcat the trip is generally 15, and to Bufl^:)rah 

 a8 days. The time fui'.able for failmg to Mocha and Suez 

 is from the middle of February to the middle of MaTU, when 

 a paffage may be made to the firft in i 8 days, to the fecond 

 in 25. If a (hip Ije delayed till the latter end of March or the 

 beginning of April, the patTage becomes more tedious, being 

 then obliged to make the land to the fouthward of the iftand 

 of Socatra before tlie gulf can he eiuered, on account of the 

 foutherly winds which prevail, and a current felting to the 

 northward. After the 15th of April, a (hip bound to the 

 Ked Sea would be very likely to lofe her paflage. 



Between the 15th of Auguft and the 15th of September it 

 may be confidered favourable to fail to Madras and Bengal ; 

 but after this time the feafon is fufpended, owinsr to thel'et- 

 ting in of the north-eaft monfoon on the other fide of India, 

 ivh»ch clofcs the pons on the coaft of Coromandel, Gol- 

 conda, and OrifTa, between the I5tb of OSober and the 13th 

 ot December; at leaft this period is excepted in common 

 policies of infurance. After this time, again, a paflage may 

 be made to Madras in 30, and Bengal in 50 days. This 

 fealon may be deemed unfavourable 10 the coaft of Pegue 

 jtnd the Streightsof Malacca; hut for the Slreights of Sunda, 

 Batavia for example, it is the beft adapted — a paOage thither 

 may be made in ^^ davs. 



With regard to the feafonabic imports in this monfoon, it 

 13 at no time more advantageous than now for coming from 

 the Coromandel coaft, and, in ftiort, the whole bay: a paf- 

 fage may be m.idefrom Madra.^ in 20 davs, from Bengal in 

 a month, and Pcnang a month. P'rom the Perfian Gulf it is 

 no lefs favourable, the paffige froni Mufcat being about ten 

 days ; and from Buftorah ih~. The R-jd wSea is now doled ; 

 nor is it reafonable to expeft arrivals from the Cape or the 

 Streights of Sunda ; from the hitler, in particular, it is aluioit 

 impolptiie at -this feafon to make a tolerable pailage. 



LIV. Mc 



