102 



A HISTORY OF 



the sea also produces some regular winds, 

 that serve the purposes of trade ; and, in 

 general, it may be observed, that wherever 

 there is a strong current of water, there is a 

 current of air that seems to attend it. 



Besides these winds that are Ibund to blow 

 in one direction, there are, as was said be- 

 fore, others that blow for certain months of 

 the year, one way, and the rest of the year 

 the contrary way : these are called the mon- 

 soons, from a famous pilot of that name, who 

 first used them in navigation 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 continue till about 

 the commencement of June. In the month 

 of August or September, the contrary direc- 

 tion takes place ; and the west winds pre- 

 vail 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 variations 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 oppo- 

 site side, and all along the coasts of Coro- 

 mandel, these dreadful tempests are wholly 

 unknown. At Java and Ceylon, a west wind 

 begins to reign in the month of September; 

 but, at fifteen degrees of south latitude, this 

 wind is found to be lost, and the great ge- 

 neral trade-wind from the east is perceived 

 to prevail. On the contrary, at Cochin, in 

 China, the west wind begins at March; so 

 that these monsoons prevail, at different 

 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. 



There are winds also that may be con- 

 sidered as peculiar to certain coasts; for 

 example, the south wind is almost constant 

 upon the coasts of Chili and Peru ; western 

 winds almost constantly prevail on the coast 



* Varenii Geographia Generalis, cap. 20. 



of Terra Magellanica ; and in the environs 

 of the Straits Le Maire. On the coasts of 

 Malabar, north and north-west winds prevail 

 continually; alorg the coast of Guinea, the 

 north-west wind is also very frequent ; and, 

 at a distance from the coasts, the north-east 

 is always found prevailing. From the begin- 

 ning of November to the end of December, a 

 west wind prevails on the coasts of Japan $ 

 and, during the whole winter, no ships can 

 leave the port of Cochin, on account of the 

 impetuosity of the winds that set upon the 

 coast. These blow with such vehemence, 

 that the ports are entirely choked up with 

 sand, and even boats are not able to enter. 

 However, the east winds that prevail for the 

 other half of the year, clear the mouths of 

 their harbours from the accumulations of the 

 preceding winter, and set the confined ships 

 at liberty. At the Straits of Babelmandel 

 there is a south wind that periodically re- 

 turns, and which is always followed by a 

 north-east. 



Besides winds thus peculiar to certain 

 coasts, there are others found to prevail on 

 all the coasts, in warm climates, which, during 

 one part of the day, blow from the shore, 

 and, during another part of it, blow from the 

 sea. The sea-breeze, in those countries, as 

 Dampier observes, commonly rises in the 

 morning, about nine, proceeding slowly, in a 

 tine small black curl, upon the surface of the 

 water, and making its way to refresh the 

 shore. It is gentle at first, but increases gra- 

 dually till twelve, then insensibly sinks away, 

 and is totally hushed at five. Upon its ceas- 

 ing, the land-breeze begins to take its turn, 

 which increases till twelve at night, and is 

 succeeded, in the morning, by the sea-breeze 

 again. Without all doubt, nothing could 

 have been more fortunate for the inhabitants 

 of the warm countries, where those breezes 

 blow, than this alternate refreshment, which 

 they feel at those seasons when it is most 

 wanted. The heat, on some coasts, would 

 be insupportable, were it not for such a sup- 

 ply of air, when the sun has rarefied all that 

 which lay more immediately under the coast. 

 The sea-breeze temperates the heat of the 

 sun by day ; and the land-breeze corrects 

 the malignity of the dews and vapours by 

 night. Where these breezes, therefore, pre- 



