1841.] Wood's Report on the River Indus. 529 



The south wind. — It reaches Kalabagh at the entrance of the moun- 

 tains, and last year was as fresh and steady upon the Upper as on the 

 Lower Indus. This wind is believed by the boatmen of the latter to 

 cease at Sehewan, and in my report on the inundation in 1 836 I men- 

 tioned the circumstance. Such, however, is not exactly the case. 

 South of Sehewan a spur from the Hala mountains comes down upon 

 the Indus, which intercepts the breeze, and turns it off from the river, 

 so that above the town for many miles calms and sultry weather are 

 characteristic of a season remarkable at other places for the steadiness 

 of the prevailing wind ; yet though this peculiarity is thus shown to 

 be local, another circumstance leads me to think, (contrary to my own 

 experience,) that the south wind is less fresh upon the Upper Indus 

 than lower down the river. Above Roree the boats have but a single 

 reef band in their sails, while at Hyderabad it is no uncommon thing 

 to see them scudding before the breeze with their sails double and 

 even triple reefed. 



The north wind is not so steady as the south, but is oftener more 

 violent while it lasts ; clouds of sand darken the air, and compel the 

 trackers to bring their boat to the bank. This wind is cold in 

 November, December, January, and February ; the thermometer at 

 sunrise is often but a few degrees above the freezing point. During 

 the season that northerly winds prevail, gales from the south are not 

 infrequent. These are always scarce, and usually, last three days. 

 The change is marked by cloudy, rainy weather, lightning, and 

 thunder. 



Variable Winds. — During those sultry breezes that follow the daily 

 lulling of the prevailing wind, the calm is often agreeably broken by 

 light breezes off the river. 



These are seldom sufficiently strong or lasting to benefit navigation, 

 but in tempering the heat of the atmosphere, and conducing to the 

 health of the numerous tribes that dwell on the banks of this river, 

 they serve an important purpose. 



Storms. — Plenty of warning is always given, and ample time 

 afforded to secure the boat, which should be done either under the 

 weather bank of the river, or the lee side of an island or sand bank. 

 An unsheltered position in deep water, with the open river to wind- 

 ward, generally settles the fate of an Indus boat. If loaded, she 



