2 $6 Mr. Flinders’s Observations 
the height of the mercury remained nearly the same, until 
the north-west monsoon began to blow steadily, about the 
10th of December, two or three days excepted, when the 
day winds were from the south-eastward, and the mercury 
then stood between 29,80 and 29,85. At these times, how- 
ever, there was usually some thunder and lightning about, 
signs of the approaching rainy monsoon, which may perhaps 
account for the descent of the mercury independently of the 
direction of the wind. 
2d. On the confirmation of the north-west monsoon, there 
was a change in the barometer at the head of the gulph, the 
common standard of the mercury being at 29,88 ; but during 
the times of heavy rain, with thunder, lightning, and squalls 
of wind, when amongst the islands of Cape Vanderlin, the 
mean height was 29,79. The north-west monsoon, after 
coming over Arnhem’s land, blows along the shore for a con- 
siderable part of the space between the Cape Maria and Cape 
Van Diemen, of Tasman ; and during the examination of the 
parts so circumstanced, we sometimes had tolerably fine 
weather, and the mercury above 29,90 ; but the wind was 
then usually more from the north than when the mercury 
stood lower. As we approached Cape Maria, and the bight 
between it and the south side of Groote Eyland, the mercury 
stood gradually lower ; and in the bight, where the north- 
west monsoon came directly from off the shore, although we 
had sea and land breezes, with fine weather, according to 
Mr. Dalrymple’s general position, yet the mercury was un- 
commonly low, its range being from 29,63 to 29,81 : the 
average 29,74, below what it had stood in the very bad 
weather near Cape Vanderlin. These winds and weather, and 
