392 
VOYAGE OF THE POTOMAC. 
[June,' 
Ships sailing from the United States or Europe, between the 
months of February and May, after having passed three or four 
degrees beyond the southern tropic, seldom find themselves more 
than 26° or 28° west ; which, considering the trending away of 
the American coast, may still be considered about midway between 
the two continents. 
The wind, in these latitudes, in the month of May, -will generally 
be found variable, as if equally attracted by land on each side ; 
but, as vessels advance farther south, in the months of May and 
June, say between 28° and 35°, the wind hauls round more from 
the westward, and is generally fresh from the northwest until the 
passage around the Cape of Good Hope can be effected. 
East of the Cape, in the winter,- the southeast winds frequently 
blow fresh for several days successively ; but the southerly winds, 
in this quarter, blow with most violence when the sun is in the 
tropic of Capricorn. As the land on the southerly extremity of 
the African continent becomes warmed by the presence of the 
sun, the heavy body of cold air, from the antarctic seas, rushes 
north, with strong currents. 
Proceeding on a few degrees from the coast of Madagascar, , the 
southeast tradewind blows at all seasons of the year as far nearly 
as the Island of Java, where it comes in reach of the monsoons. 
Within the Mosambique channel, owing to the proximity of the 
two great bodies of land, the winds partake of the nature of mon 
soons. ' 
The seasons in Hindostan are distinguished by the northeast 
and southwest monsoons ; but farther to the eastward and south- 
ward of the line, and in the Gulf of Bengal, the monsoons blow 
from different quarters. The northeast becomes in those parts 
the northwest, and the southwest becomes the southeast. These 
changes are owing to local circumstances ; the position of large 
bodies of land and water. 
In speaking of the Indian Ocean, we mean that portion of the 
\ globe contained between the Gulf of Sinde and Bengal on the 
north, to the tropic of Capricorn, south ; and from the east of 
Africa, to the west shores of New -Holland : from that parallel' 
of latitude to the south pole, containing the ocean between Africa 
and New-Holland, as the great Southern Ocean. 
In the Gulf of Bengal, the wind may be said to blow six month? 
