ON TUB MEDICAL TOPOGRAPHY OP SINGAPORE. 
451 
is felt in the morning at 6,9 to 10, it will be felt tomorrow an hour 
later or earlier; if in the evening the same will occur ; but in the 
morning from 3 to 5 may be reckoned, as might tbe expected, the 
most general time for their appearance. The age of the moon has 
also some effect, as generally we have more squalls during the young 
moon than the full moon. A squall seldom falls where it is seen to 
rise, but describes a part of a circle. 
We have two monsoons blowing here, the N.E. monsoon ought 
to blow according to general opinion during the months of October, 
November, December, January, February, March, and April,* and 
the S.W. monsoon, throughout the other months. But we gene¬ 
rally find that the S.W. monsoon commences for a few hours in the 
day in March, blows more frequently in April, continuously in the 
other months until the end of October, when we have calms squalls, 
occasional puffs from the S.W. more frequently from the N.W. until 
having gone round the compass, it at last fixes itself in the North East, 
or more generally betwixt the N.E. and E. from which points 
it blows steadily till the middle of March, when we have again calms 
winds from various directions, squalls, but of less severity, until 
May, when the S, W. monsoon sets pretty steadily in. The N.E. 
monsoon compared with the S.W. blows much more steadily and 
with more force. This may be attributed to less high land inter¬ 
vening betwixt the China Sea and Singapore while the S.W. mon¬ 
soon having to pass over Sumatra and the various islands to the 
south of Singapore is tempered in temperature and strength. The 
temperature of Singapore during the N. E. monsoon is lower by 
one to two degrees than in the S.W, monsoon. More rain falls 
for the same reason during the N. E. monsoon. For these reasons 
amongst others it is reckoned healthier. 
But the currents of air which affect us most are the land and sea 
breezes. The first commences to blow about 8 f. m. and continues 
till 5 to 6 a. m. when the warm sea breeze takes its place, or no 
breeze at all. The greater the distance the resident is from the sea, 
* November to March, both included, is the period generally given. See 
Horsburgh, ante p, 107, Ed. 
