138 PHYSICAL GEOaRAPHY OF THE SEA, AXD ITS METEOROLOGY. 



land, the direction of the coast-line with respect to the preyailing 

 direction of the trade-wind in which the land is situated, the clear- 

 ness of the atmosphere, the position of the sun, perhaps also that 

 of the moon, the surface over which the sea breeze blows, possibly 

 also the degree of moisture and the electrical state of the aii', the 

 heights of the mountains, their extent, and their distance from the 

 coast, all have influence thereon. Local observations in regard to 

 these can afford much light, as well as determine the distance at 

 which the land breeze blows from the coast, and beyond which the 

 regular trade-wind or monsoon continues uninterruptedly to blow. 

 The direction of land and sea winds must also be deteiTiiined by 

 local observations, for the idea is incorrect that they should always 

 blow per}3endicularly to the coast-Hne. Scarcely has one left the 

 Java Sea — which is, as it were, an inland sea between Sumatra, 

 Borneo, Java, and the archipelago of small islands between both 

 of the last named — than, in the blue waters of the easterly part of 

 the East Indian Archipelago, natm-e assumes a bolder aspect, more 

 in harmony with the great depth of the ocean. The beauty of 

 the Java Sea, and the delightful phenomena which air and ocean 

 display, have here ceased. The scene becomes more earnest. The 

 coasts of the eastern islands rise boldly out of the water, far in 

 whose depths they have planted their feet. The south-east wind, 

 which blows upon the southern coasts of the chain of islands, is 

 sometimes \-iolent, always strong thi^ough the straits which sepa- 

 rate them from each other, and this appears to be more and more 

 the case as we go eastward. Here, also, upon the northern coast, 

 we find land breezes, yet the trade-wuid often blows so violently 

 that they have not sufficient power to force it beyond the coast. 

 Ovdng to the obstruction which the chain of islands presents to 

 the south-east trade-wind, it happens that it blows with violence 

 away over the mountains, apparently as the land breeze does upon 

 the north coast ;* yet this wind, which only rises when it blows 

 hard from the south-east upon the south coast, is easily distin- 

 guished from the gentle land breeze. The regularity of the land 

 and sea breezes in the Java Sea and upon the coasts of the north- 

 em range of islands, Banca, Borneo, Celebes, etc., during the east 

 monsoon, must in part be ascribed to the hindi'ances which the 

 soiith-east trade-wind meets in the islands which he directly in its 

 way — in part to the inclination towards the east monsoon which 



* Sucli is tlie case, among others, in the Strait of Madura, upon the heights of 

 Bezoekie. 



