76 INDIA BEYOND THE GANGES. 



towards the beginning and conclufion of the feafon. During 

 the wet months the heat is intolerable, efpecially when the fun 

 can force its rays through the thick clouds. 



Typhoks. The Typbons, or as Dampier calls them fnffoons, are moft 



tremendous in this bay and on the coaft of Cbma. They pre- 

 vale in the months of "July, Augujl^ and September'^ and com- 

 monly near the change of the moon. They are preceded by 

 very fine weather ; a prefaging cloud appears in the north-eaft,. 

 black near the horizon, edged with copper color, on the upper 

 part fading into a glaring white. It often exhibits a ghaftly 

 appearance twelve hours before the Typbon burfts ; its rage lafts 

 many hours from the north-eaft, attended with dreadful claps 

 of thunder, large and frequent liafnes of lightning, and ex- 

 ceflive hard rains ; then it finks into a dead calm ; after which 

 it begins again with redoubled rage from the fouth-weft, and 

 continues an equal length of time. 



Tides. The great Halley gives an account of the furi^rifing tides m 



this bay ; each flux is of twelve hours duration, and its re-flux 

 the fame, fo that there occurs but one high water in twenty-four 

 hours. The great Philofopher fliall fpeak in his own words : 



" On the firft and fecond days, at the water's increafe, the in- 

 " fluxes are very fraall and uncertain, but afterwards the tides 

 " for thirteen days are conftant in their courfe, one flood and 

 " one ebbing being completed in twenty-four hours time, equally 

 *' fharing the fpace of a lunar circuition of the earth between 

 *' them, and every flood beginning neareil three quarters of an 

 <' hour later than the precedent flood, and alfo confiderably in- 

 *' creafing in the height of the tide every day, from the third unto 

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