632 Researches on the Gale and Hurricane [August, 



If we look at the Bay of Bengal, Map No. II, we shall be struck 

 with the fact, that while it is bounded on the East by the mountain 

 range which stretches from the Malay peninsula to Bootan, often ap- 

 proaching very near the shores, and rising to the height of from 3000 

 to perhaps 5000 feet on the Arracan coast; it is also bounded, on the 

 West, by the Coromandel range, which supports the Eastern side of 

 the elevated table lands of the Deccan. At the valley of the Ma- 

 hanuddee (the river of Cuttack) however, at its junction with the 

 Vindiya range, it turns suddenly to the North- Westward and West- 

 ward, leaving thus between it and the mountains of Arracan, the wide 

 opening from Point Palmiras to Chittagong, which, to use an orien- 

 talism, is the gate to the plains of Bengal. 



The salient angle, formed by the corner where the Vindiya and 

 Coromandel ranges meet, and the entering one, where the Bootan, or 

 Himalaya, and Arracan and Caehar ranges join (leaving however the 

 valley of Assam as an opening for the great Burrumpooter to flow 

 through,) thus form, as it were, an angular channel ; through which 

 all the lower strata of the current of the SW. monsoon may be sup- 

 posed to find their way over the plains of Bengal and up the valley of 

 the Ganges ; and this is their natural eourse. But we may suppose that 

 the SW. monsoon when urged to any great force at the mouth of the 

 Bay, about Ceylon, must strike against the mountain ranges of Arracan 

 in about from lat. 16°, which is that of Cape Negrais, to lat. 20° or 

 21°; or about that of Arracan ; and, being deflected thence, must turn 

 off in a paraboloidal line towards the great opening offered by the 

 low lands at the head of the Bay, and thence proceed up the valley of 

 the Ganges as before. 



But when the head of the Gale is thus deflected, it may meet also with 

 that portion of the monsoon which has blown along the Coromandel 

 range and coast— called the " long-shore wind," by the old navigators 

 — which has a much shorter distance to travel ; and there occasion an 

 eddy of variable winds, whirlwind or hurricane, according to the 

 force of the first impulse— and this again influenced too, doubtless, by 

 many causes to which we are yet strangers. 



If this theory be true for these tempests, we should look to find 

 points, about the meeting of the two currents, varying in position ac- 

 cording to their respective forces, at which, during these gales, it should 

 be comparatively calm, or blowing but moderately ; and it is curious 

 that at Balasore, in latitude 21° 28', and at the Black Pagoda in 

 19° 62' N. this comparative calm is found to have existed. My 

 authority for this is the following letter. 



