504 BOMBAY. 
officers on board for the purpose of justifying this departure from 
the track to which the vessel had been limited, and at 2 hours p. m. 
the captain, in consequence, bore up for Bombay. 
From this time to the 15th of July we continued makina; a 
direct course to that harbour, the sea rolling very heavily, and 
the ship labouring and straining so much with the gales that we 
were constantly obliged to keep the pumps at work. On the 15th 
we experienced heavy rain, and saw several sea snakes, which are 
sure signs of approaching the coast, when shortly afterwards we 
gained soundings in 37 fathoms. On the following day, by a 
happy coincidence,* we met with a ship that had been out twenty- 
four hours only from Bombay, the commander of which gave us 
the bearing of the light-house, when we bore up^ and at five 
entered that harbour. 
On my arrival I immediately proceeded to call upon the 
Governor, Mr. Duncan, who received me in a very friendly man- 
ner, and immediately allotted some apartments for my use in the 
government house. A few days afterwards the dangerous state 
of the Marian having been officially ascertained, her cargo was 
unshipped, and she was taken into dock for the purpose of under- 
going a thorough repair. During the delay which this event 
occasioned I spent my time very agreeably, owing to the polite 
attentions paid to me by the inhabitants, and particularly by Sir 
James Mackintosh, who, with the peculiar liberality distinguish- 
ing his character, allowed me to have free access to his extensive 
* The harbour of Bombay, during the rainy season, in the south-west monsoon, is ex- 
tremely difficult of approach, owing to the continual haziness of the atmosphere, which 
prevents the possibility of ascertaining the exact position of the vessel. 
