THE INDIAN OCEAN. 357 
wind in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, by 
which the north-east trade-wind is exchanged for 
one directly opposite, commonly called the setting in 
of the south-west monsoon, is attended with very 
remarkable effects on the weather. It is the com- 
mencement of the rainy season, which is ushered 
in by storms of thunder, lightning, and rain, of such 
violence, as those acquainted only with a temperate 
climate have no conception of. Mr. Elphinstone thus 
describes the scene on the coast of India: “The ap- 
proach of the monsoon is announced by vast masses 
of clouds that rise from the Indian Ocean, and 
advance towards the north-east, gathering and thick- 
ening as they approach the land. After some threat- 
ening days, the sky assumes a troubled appearance 
in the evenings, and the monsoon in general sets in 
during the night. It is attended by such a thunder- 
storm as can hardly be imagined by those who have 
only seen that phenomenon in a temperate climate. 
It generally begins with violent blasts of wind, which 
are succeeded by floods of rain, For some hours 
lightning is seen almost without intermission; some- 
times it only illumines the sky, and shows the clouds 
near the horizon; at other times it discovers the dis- 
tant hills, and again leaves all in darkness: when 
in an instant, it reappears in vivid and successive 
flashes, and exhibits the nearest objects in the bright- 
ness of day. During all this time the distant thun- 
der never ceases to roll, and is only silenced by some 
nearer peal, which bursts on the ear with such a 
sudden and tremendous crash as can scarcely fail to 
strike the most insensible heart withawe. At length 
