WESTERN HINDOOSTAN. 89 



of branches, fufficiently marked on the maps: they feeni to 

 take a northerly courfe, to comprehend Aurungabad, to crofs 

 the Taptee, and continue wefterly, at irregular diftances from 

 the river, till they arrive at a certain fpace from Surat. 



The whole chain, efpecially in the Concan^ feems a conne61:ed 

 wall, inacceffible to the fiimmit, unlefs by paths worked by the 

 hand of man, and is not to be afcended even by a lingle travel- 

 ler, without the fatiguing labor of many hours ; horrible pre- 

 cipices, roaring cataracts, and frequent reverberating echoes, 

 terrify the palTenger on each fide; often violent guilis arife, and 

 hurrv men and cattle into the black immeafurable abyfs. .Havint^ 

 attained the fummit, the trouble is repaid by the magnificent 

 profpecfl to the weft, of the far fubjacent country, broken into 

 hills, and clothed with beautiful vegetation ; the coaft, tlie 

 iflands, and the imraenfity of ocean. 



These Indiaji Appenines mark with precifion the limits of Seasons. 

 the winter and fummer, or rather the wet and dry feafons, in 

 India. They extend thiiteen degrees of latitude, from Surnt 

 to Cape Coinorin. 1 hey arrelf the great body of clouds in their 

 palTage, and, according to the Monfoons, or periodical winds from 

 the nnrth-eaft or fouth-weft, give, alternately, a dry feafon to 

 one fide, and a wet one to the other ; fome clouds do pafs over, 

 and give a rainy feafon, but at a very confiderable diftance to the 

 leeward; being too high and too light to condenfe and fall in 

 rain, within a fmall dilfance of this great range. 



In Lat. 18° 58' is a very confiderable bay, filled with iflands, BavofBombay. 

 well knowqi by the name of Bomhav-, which forms the heft and 

 moft fecure harbour in India. This, as well as every part of 



Vol. I. N ■ this 



