296 HISTORY or 



pilot of that name, who first used them in naviga- 

 tion with success.* In all that part of the ocean 

 that lies between Africa and India, the east 

 winds begin at the month of January, and con- 

 tinue till about the commencement of June : in 

 the month of August or September, the contrary 

 direction takes place, and the west winds prevail 

 for three or four months. The interval between 

 these winds, that is to say, from the end of June 

 to the beginning of August, there is no fixed 

 wind; but the sea is usually tossed by violent 

 tempests, proceeding from the north. These 

 winds are always subject to their greatest varia- 

 tions as they approach the land ; so that, on one 

 side of the great peninsula of India, the coasts 

 are, for near half the year, harassed by violent 

 hurricanes, and northern tempests ; while, on the 

 opposite side, and all along the coasts of Coro- 

 mandel, these dreadful tempests are wholly un- 

 known. At Java and Ceylon, a west wind begins 

 to reign in the month of September ; but, at fif- 

 teen degrees of south latitude, this wind is found 

 to be lost, and the great general trade-wind from 

 the east is perceived to prevail. On the contrary, 

 at Cochin, in China, the west wind begins in 

 March ; so that these monsoons prevail at diffe- 

 rent seasons throughout the Indies. So that the 

 mariner takes one part of the year to go from 

 Java to the Moluccas ; another from Cochin to 

 Molucca ; another from Molucca to China ; and 

 still another to direct him from China to Japan. 



* Varenii Geograplria General!*, cap. 20. 



: t, .'.".'.'.. 



