THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 317 



land, whicli always prevails some hours after sun- 

 set, we began our voyage to Woahoo. 1 ad- 

 vise every navigator who sails from Owhyee 

 to Woahoo, to keep near the coast, where the 

 land and sea-winds blow the freshest ; whereas 

 at a distance of several miles from land, calms 

 prevail, which are caused by the Mouna Roa. 

 As soon as you have reached the channel between 

 Owhyee and Mowee, the real monsoon begins, 

 and you may then safely take the course to 

 Woahoo, without being afraid of Mouna Roa. For 

 such of my readers as are not mariners, and who 

 do not know what I mean by land and sea-winds, 

 a short explanation will not be useless. In all high 

 islands, which are exposed between the tropics to 

 the constant monsoon, the coast under the wind, 

 that is, opposite to that exposed to the monsoon, 

 produces, by day, a wind blowing from the sea to 

 the shore ; but just the contrary during the night. 

 This phenomenon is easily explained ; during the 

 day the land is so heated by the scorching sun, 

 that it is hotter than the sea j hence the air blows 

 from the colder region into the warmer, and causes 

 what is called the sea-wind. In the night it is the 

 reverse ; the sea is warmer than the land, and 

 hence arises the land-wind. 



On the 25th of November we had a calm the 

 whole day ; we could clearly see the islands of 

 Owhyee and Mowee, both of which aftbrd the na- 

 vigator a majestic prospect, by their gigantic 



