140 A HISTORY OF 



half the year, harassed by violent hurricanes, and northerr temoests; 

 while, on the opposite side, and all along the coasts of C romandel, 

 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 greai 

 general trade-wind from the east is perceived to prevail. On the con- 

 trary, at Cochin, in China, the west wind begins in March ; so thai 

 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 considered 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 of Terra Magellanica ; and in the environs of the Straits le Maire. 

 On the coasts of Malabar, north and north-west winds prevail continu- 

 ally ; along the coast of Guinea, the north-west wind is also very fre- 

 quent ; and, at a distance from the coasts, the north-east is always 

 found prevailing. From the beginning 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 har- 

 bours 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 returns, 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 ob- 

 serves, commonly rises in the morning about nine, proceeding slowly, 

 in a fine small black curl, upon tne surface of the the water, and 

 making its way to refresh the shore. It is gentle at first, but increas- 

 es gradually till twelve, then insensibly sinks away, and is totally 

 hushed at five. Upon its ceasing, the land-breeze begins to take its 

 turn, which increases gradually till twelve at night, and is succeeded, 

 in the morning, by the sea-breeze again. Without all doubt, nothing 

 could be 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 supply 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, prevail, and they are very 

 common, the inhabitants enjoy a share of health and happiness, un- 

 known to those that live much farther up the country, or such as live 

 ill similar latitudes without this advantage. The cause of t^f.se obvi 



