AN ESSAY ON INDIA, 



from OEioher to Afril, blow conftantly from the north ; and from 

 Afril to 05iober, from the fouth. For the fpace of fome weeks 

 before this change, there is generally fcarcely any v/ind 5 but at the 

 commencement of the change, fuch tempefts' arife as to caufe 

 T great damage to mariners. On the eaftern fide of the peninfula., 



called the coaft of CoromandeJ, the flcy from April to OBober is 

 conftantly ferene without a Ihower, but from OSioker to Afril is the 

 rainy feafon. On the weftern or Malabar coalt, on the contrary, 

 there is no rain from OSfober to April, but very heavy rains fall 

 from May to September, During tlie fair feafon, intenfe heat 

 infefts the whole coaft ; but in the rainy feafon, the temperature 

 is at intervals more moderate, and at that time all the rivers 

 fwell, and their ftreams are partly diftributed through the fields 

 for the purpofe of fertilifing them, and partly are received into 

 ponds or great receptacles, where the water is preferved with 

 care, to be let into, the fields at proper periods. 



The region of India beyond the Ganges has nearly the fame 

 climate with the peninfula on this fide j but it is particularly well 

 River*. watered by large rivers. Of thefe we fliall firft mention the 



Bahramputter (Burrampooter) which flows through the whole 

 country of Tibet, from the very confines of Cafiimire, and, after it 

 has crofl:ed the kingdom of AJfam, enters that of Beftgal at Ran- 

 gamatty, and at length, juft upon the coaft of the Indian fea, 

 mixes its waters with thofe of the Gaiiges, in an equally copious 

 ftream, and thus enters the fea in a common channel. Next, the 

 rivers Ava, Pegu, and 1'enaJJerim, rifing in the 'libet mountains^ 

 after watering die kingdoms whofe names they bear, enter the- 

 hay of Bengal on the weftern fide of the peninfula. 



The Menam and Menam-kom, or Siam and Cambodia rivers^ 



flow. 



