

MONSOON. 



MONTH. 



7M 



which U alao ouietiuie* the case in Java and the Leaser Sunda 



The direction of the monsoon* in the vicinity of the land is frequent! y 

 changed by the direction of the coast, especially when a mountain 

 nag* (Stood* along the shore*. The most remarkable instance of thin 

 phenomenon U observed on the south-western coast of the island of 

 Sumatra. The south-west monsoon is felt at Acheen Head, it* most 

 northern point ; but, being opposed by the range of high mountains 

 running along the south-western coast, it is changed into a north-west 

 wind, which blows a* far south a* 1" N. lat South of the equator the 

 wind i* not south-west, but south-east, and may be considered as the 

 trade-wind, which, as already observed, extends as far north as 3* S. lat 

 whon the sun is in the northern hemisphere. During thin period that 

 part of the island which lie-* north of tie equator ha* its rainy season, 

 whilst the southern district* have dry weather. When the sun U in 

 the northern hemisphere the southern portion has abundant rains, with 

 frequent thunder-storms ; and the northern enjoys a serene sky. In 

 that season of the year the wind blows in the southern part from 

 north west, and is that wind which is generally called the north-west 

 monsoon; but the northern districts are under the influence of the 

 north-east monsoon 



It is not easy to explain the origin of these periodical winds. It is 

 admitted on all hands that they are only a modification of the trade- 

 winds, produced by the peculiar form of the countries lying within and 

 around the Indian Ocean. This modification, it is said, is produced by 

 the difference of temperature to which the high table-lands of Asia 

 and Africa are subject during the two great divisions of the year. 

 Wuen the sun is in the northern hemisphere the heat causes such a 

 rarefaction of the atmosphere on the table-land of Asia as to make the 

 air flow rapidly from the colder region near the equator to that quarter ; 

 and this is the south-west monsoon. When, on the contrary, the sun, 

 during its stay in the southern hemisphere, heats the air on the table- 

 land of southern Africa, the contrary effect takes pi ice, and that is the 

 north-east monsoon. This explanation however is liunlly satisfactory. 

 It is a fact that on the high table lands the air is always in a state of 

 rarefaction, compared with that of low countries, and that the summer- 

 heat i* never such as to cause a degree of rarefaction sufficient to 

 produce a motion in the air from the lower countries towards the table- 

 lands. Besides this, the Himalaya mountains, with their immensely 

 high masses, lie in the line in which the south-west monsoon blows, 

 and it* effects are not observed to be sensible in the higher ]>art of that 

 range. The table-lands of Beloochistan and Arabia cannot be con- 

 sidered as affecting the direction of the wind, for in that case the wind 

 would rather blow from the south-east than from the south-west. \Vc 

 think therefore that the cause of this modification of the trade-wind 

 must be sought for in less remote localities. As for the north-east 

 monsoon, we are inclined to consider it entirely as a continuation of 

 the north-east trade-wind, which is only interrupted by the two penin- 

 sula* stretching southward into the Indian Ocean ; and this interrup- . 

 tion U the cau why it is commonly less constant and regular than the 

 trade wind itself. The question therefore is only why this trade-wind 

 is interrupted by a wind blowing in an opposite direction when the 

 sun U in the northern hemisphere. In this part of the year the trade- 

 wind in the northern hemis here retires thirteen degrees from the 

 equator. If this fart i* applied to the Indian Ocean, only the most 

 northern recesses of the three gulfs, the Arabian Sea, the Bay of 

 B. ngal. and the Chinese Sea, would fall within its limit*. and the 

 remainder would be within the region of calms. In such a state of 

 IIHU etence a led powerful agency may produce a great effect. The 

 outh-eut trade-wind, which, when the sun is on the north of the 

 equator, extends to the vicinity of the c.|uator, is prevented by the 

 elevated table land of Africa from proceeding in its direction, and is 

 therefore diverted from it* course It follows the win ling of the 

 coast to the north-eant ; but as the coast of Africa, as well as that of 

 Arabia, i* skirted by very high mountains, it finds no way to escape in 

 a western direction. It would however probably not acquire that 

 degree of constancy and force by which it is characterised, if it did not 

 blow towards a country in which a considerable rarefaction of U. 

 produced by the suns approaching to tin- northern tropic. This is 

 the Indian Desert, called Thurr, in which the heat in summer rise* 

 to an exowive degree, on account of iU small elevation above the 

 m, it* sandy soil, and the almost complete want of vegetation. The 

 rarefaction produced by this heat gives strength and constancy to 

 the Math-west nions on, and carries it to the very base of t Ill- 

 Himalaya mount linn, though the desert iUelf does not partake of the 

 fertilising rain* which this nioniwn brings to all the coast whose 

 iiHiimUiiM oppose it* progress. This, we think, i* sufficient to explain 

 the south wc*t monsoon in the Arabian Sea, where it is most constant 

 and re^n'ar. 



Th >iith-M*t trade-wind, not extending to the north of the equator, 



unk* be considered as contributing to produce the south-west uion- 



the Bay of Bengal ; and this wind therefore seems to owe its 



merely to the rarefaction of the air produced by the summer- 

 e wide plain of the Ganges; but as this plain is partly 



nth trees <8underbund and Terai) and nearly everywhere 

 with vegetation, the effect of the heat on the temperature of the air is 

 regular; and thus it may be explained that the south-west 



in thu sea w Ins regular and eon-taut The vegetation 



which covers the Oangetic Plain is probably also the reason why the 

 rains brought by the monsoon are distributed over it* whole extent, 

 whilst it passes over the dry sands of the Thurr almost without letting 

 a single shower fall. 



The origin of the south monsoon in the Chinese Sea is more difficult 

 to explain. The great plain of Siam and Camboja, the mountain-range 

 of Cochin China, which extends along the shores of the sea from south 

 to north, and the plains of Tonquin, probably contribute Ian. 

 it ; but we are too imperfectly acquainted with the extent and nature 

 of these plains to be able to form a correct opinion on this point. 

 That this south monsoon extends to the island of Formosa can hardly 

 be adduced as an objection to this explanation, when it is considered 

 that the north-east trade-wind retires to the most northern corner of 

 the Chinese Sea, and is there very feeble anil irregular. 



As for the monsoons of the Java Sea and of the seas between the 

 Lesser Sundi Islands and Australia, they seem to owe their origin 

 principally to the changes of temperature which occur in the countries 

 lying along the northern coast of Australia. [WIND.] 

 ' MiiNSTKANS I'K UK01T. [PKTITIOX OF UIGUT ] 



MONT DK I'IKTE'tMOXTE DI PI ETA', in Italian), is the title 

 of certain |iwnbroking establishments which originated in Italy in the 

 15th century, the object of which was to lend money to necessitous 

 people at a moderate interest The Jews, who were the great money- 

 lenders in that age, exacted an enormous interest, as much as 20 to 

 25 per cent. The Papal government and other Italian governments 

 established a kind of bank, which lent money upon pledges, for a fixed 

 term, at a low rate of interest, intended chiefly to defray the ui> 

 able expenses of the establishment ; at the expiration of which term, 

 if the capital lent and interest were not repaid the pledges were sold, 

 and the surplus money, after paying the debt incurred, was restored to 

 the owners. In most instances however the term might be renewed 

 by merely paying the interest The administration of the Monte di 

 Pietti was to be conducted upon economical and strictly equitable prin- 

 ciples, and it was under the inspection of the government as a public 

 benevolent institution. This at least was the original principle. 

 although occasionally deviated from in consequence of the cupidity or 

 necessities of the government* themselves. 



This institution was introduced into other countries, especially into 

 Flanders. In Spain there were also similar establishments at Madrid 

 and some other large towns, but in no country were they so generally 

 spread as in Italy. 



When the French under Bonaparte invaded Italy in 17!'6-7, they 

 plundered the Monti di Pietii of Milan, Modena, Parma, and most 

 towns. At Kome, Pope Pius VI., being pressed by the French to pay 

 an enormous sum for war contributions, was obliged to seize upon the 

 richer pledges in the Monte di Picth, for the repayment of which he 

 gave bonds; but these bonds lost all value in the subsequent in 

 of llome by the French in 1798. The Monti di Pieta have been 

 re-established in some of the Italian cities, and there is an in-tituti.-n 

 of a similar character in Paris. 



MOXTAX1STS. [MoxT.vxus, in HICK: Div.j 



MOXTEM CUSTOM, the ancient custom of a | ..f the 



scholars of Eton School in Huckingh.nusliiro tut minilem, which has 

 been discontinued since 1844. It used to be made every tliii > 

 on Whit-Tuesday, to a tumulus near the Bath Itoad, which has acquired 

 the name of Salt Hill, by which also the neighbouring inns have been 

 long known. The chief object of the celebration w;ui to rolled iimiiry 

 for tall, aa the phrase is. from all , ml it was exacted 



even from passengers travelling the road. The scholar* v ! 

 the money were called salt-bearers, and they, as well as "tin rs of the 

 scholars, especially the captain, who was the senior scholar, the 

 whose duty it was to flourish a flag on the mount, and the scout*, u ho 

 collected the salt, were dressed in fanciful rich habits, generally mili- 

 tary. Tickets inscribed with some motto, such as Ad .I/.),,/. 

 pro Leye, or Pro Store et Monte, by way of pass-word, were given to 

 such iwrsons as had already paid for mil, as a security from any further 

 ilrman. I-.. 



This ceremony has been frequently honoured with the pretence of 

 the sovereign and the royal family, whose liberal contribution? 

 to those of many of tho nobility and others who had been educated ;ri 

 Eton, SO Car OgUHBted the p-nn-al collection that it has been known 

 to amount to near 1000/. The sum so collected was given to the 

 captain of the school, or senior scholar, who was going off to Cambridge, 

 for his support at the university. It would be in \ain, pcrhap*. to 

 trace the origin of all the c rcumslauces of this singular custom, par- 

 ticularly that of collecting money for sail, which had been in u- 

 time immemorial. The procession itself seems to have been coeval 

 with the foundation of the college, and it has been conjectured, with 

 much probability, that it was that of the liuim, or /(..//.//i '.tlm/i. It 

 originally took place on the 6th of December, the festival of St. N ieholaa, 

 the patron of children, being the day on which it was customary at 

 Salisbury, and in other places where the ceremony was observed, to 

 elect the Boy-bishop from among the children belonging to the cathe- 

 dral. It is only since 175! that the time of the celebration of the I -:ton 

 Monteui was changed, and in 1778 it appears to have been l M 

 biennially It was formerly a part of the ceremony that a boy drts-"l 

 in a clerical habit, with a wig, should read prayers. 



MONTH. [MOON: YUB.J 



