THE WINDS. 



287 



rain holds up during the day, and in the Java Sea we have the 

 east monsoon. It is then Maj. Farther to the south than the 

 Java Sea the east monsoon commences in ApriL* 



828. "This monsoon prevails till September or October, when 

 it turns to become the west monsoon. It has seemed to me that 

 the east monsoon does not blow the same in every month (§ 851) ; 

 that its direction becomes more southerly, and its power greater 

 after it has prevailed for some time.j 



829. " It is sufficiently important to fix the attention, seeing that 

 these circumstances have great influence upon the winds in the 

 many straits of the Archipelago, in which strong currents run most 

 of the time. Especially in the straits to the east of Java, these 

 currents are very strong. I have been unable to stem the current 

 with eight-mile speed. However, they do not always flow equal- 

 ly strong, nor always in the same direction. They are probably 

 the strongest when the tidal current and the equatorial current 

 meet together. It is said that the currents in the straits during 

 the east monsoon run eighteen hours to the north, and six hours 

 to the south, and the reverse during the west monsoon. The 

 passing of the meridian by the moon appears to be the fixed point 

 of time for the turning of the currents. It is probable that the 

 heated water of the Archipelago is discharged to the north during 

 the east monsoon, and to the south during the west monsoon. 



830. "As the sea makes the coming of the southern summer 

 known to the inhabitants of the Java coast,t the turning of the 

 east monsoon into the west monsoon commences. After the sun 

 has finished its yearly task in the northern hemisphere, and brings 



* In the northeast part of the Archipelago the east monsoon is the rainy monsoon. 

 The phenomena in the northeast part are thus wholly different from those in the Java 

 Sea. — Jansen. 



t As is well known, the Strait of Soerabaya forms an elbow whose easterly outlet 

 opens to the east, while the westerly outlet opens to the north. In the beginning of 

 the east monsoon the sea-wind (east monsoon) blows through the westerly entrance 

 as far as Grissee (in the elbow) ; in the latter part of this monsoon, the sea-wind 

 blows, on the contrary, through the easterly entrance es far as Sambilangan (the nar- 

 row passage where the westerly outlet opens into the sea). — Jansen. 



t In the Archipelago we have generally high water but once a day, and, with the 

 equinoxes, the tides also turn. The places which have high water by day in one 

 monsoon get it at night in the other. — Jansen. 



