SAILING DIRECTIONS. 
323 
ward; excepting in the narrower part between Cape Lon- 
donderry and the Sahul Bank, where, from the contracted 
nature of the sea, more regular winds may be expected. 
The easterly monsoon commences about the beginning of 
April, and in the months of May and June blows with great 
strength, and will be found more regular close to the pro- 
jecting parts of the coast, but they then rather assume the 
character of a sea-breeze, for the nights are generally calm. 
After the month of June the winds to the westward of 
Cape Londonderry are very irregular, and generally blow from 
the southv/ard or south-west ; they are however more constant 
to the westward of Buccaneer’s Archipelago, where the sea- 
breezes blow principally from the N.W. along the land. At 
intervals, during the east monsoon, the wind blows strong 
from S.E., but only for a short time, perhaps only for a few 
hours. Ships may creep along the Coast of New Holland 
to the eastward during the easterly monsoon, when they 
could not make any progress in the mid sea, without being 
much delayed by calms. Towards the North-west Cape, 
neither the monsoon nor the South East trade are much 
experienced, the wind being generally from the S.W. or 
N.W. 
During the strength of the westerly monsoon, that is, 
in the months of December and January, the wind is 
regular between W.N.W. and W.S.W., and, in the neigh- 
bourhood of the North-west Cape, sometimes blows hard; 
but even in these tropical regions, when the weather is very 
bad, the change is predicted by the barometer, which other- 
wise is scarcely affected. 
In February, near the coast of New Holland, the monsoon 
is less constant, and the wind often blows off the land, so 
that a ship could make her westing, when, if more to the 
northward, it would be impossible for her to gain any 
Y 2 
A. 
Sect. IV. 
N."West 
Coast. 
