HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
3 5‘ 
Voyage to India during the North-east Monsoon. 
Having considered the different courses that may be taken, while the south-west 
monsoon prevails in the Indian sea, it remains for me to point out those which 
should be preferred, when the north-east monsoon has succeeded to it, to get either 
to the Malabar coast, or that of Coromandel. 
4t On leaving the Cape of Good Hope, the general course, which I have described 
in the preceding article, must be kept as far as the tropic of Capricorn, from whence 
the course must be made good, north by north-east, in order to pass the Equinoctial 
line in 85° longitude. From this position, if the winds should be north-east, you will 
be sufficiently to the windward to make the Isle of Ceylon; and stretching along 
this island towards the west, you will arrive at the place of your destination, whether 
it be to the coast of Malabar, Goa, Bombay, or Surat ; according to the instruction 
which will be found in my Charts of India. 
“ If the season should be more advanced, so that the west winds blow to the 
south of the Equinoctial line about two hundred leagues to the east of Rodriguez 
it will be sufficient to steer north-east by north; so that with the westerly winds, 
which always blow in 8° or 9 0 of latitude, the course may be so held as to cross 
the line as much to the east as may be necessary. 
“ Ships bound to the coast of Coromandel, which may be neared after the 25th 
of December, must pass the line in 90° or 92 0 of longitude, to be able afterwards, 
with the north-east winds which prevail on the northern coast, to hold a course, so 
as to fall in with the wind of the place to which they are destined. 
“ When ships leave the Isles of France and Bourbon, to proceed to the Indies in 
the latter season, that is, from the month of November to that of April, they gene¬ 
rally take the common course; and for that purpose stretch away, with the assistance 
of the general winds, to the south, in order to gain the variable winds, with which, 
they get sufficiently to the east; so as by getting up towards the north, to pass the 
Equinoctial enough to the east to reach the places of their destination. 
“ Such is the course which voyagers have hitherto pursued, without reflecting, 
probably, that the west winds which blow in the same season to the south of the 
Equator, would procure the means of shortening it from at least seven to eight hun¬ 
dred leagues. Perhaps, the sight of the isles, which the old charts suppose to be to 
the south of the Maidive Islands, might induce navigators to apprehend they should 
