ON THE ANCIENT COMMERCE AND COMMUNICATIONS WITH INDIA BY EUROPEAN NATIONS.

THE term Monsoon is given to those winds which prevail alternately, during six months of the year, from the North East and South West quarters. Arrian calls them Etesian, from the name given to those winds which blow from the Euxine and Hellespont in summer, but particularly during the months of July and August, over the Egean sea, and across the Mediterranean into Africa. Near the Indian coasts, the course of the Monsoon winds frequently gives way for a few hours in the night and early in the morning, to breezes from the land. Vessels of small dimensions, by keeping near the shore, take advantage of those breezes to

get along the coast in a direction opposite to the course of the Monsoon; as, however, when the breeze fails, they must anchor, and wait for its return, their progress necessarily becomes extremely tedious.

The North East Monsoon is expected to set in towards the end of October, and is replaced by the S. W. Monsoon in April; but there is at both changes a space of fluctuation sometimes of more, and sometimes of less duration. The change of the Monsoons is accompanied by the periodical rains, and frequently by violent tempests. The rains on the coast of Coromandel are most abundant, at the setting in of the N. E. Monsoon; but, on the Western and N. W. parts of India, when the S. W. wind begins in April and May. On the coast of Coromandel and Bay of Bengal, the setting in of the N. E. Monsoon is most apprehended by navigators. That in the spring is seldom accompanied by any great tempest. The commanders of ships in the Royal navy and in the East India Company's service have orders to quit the

coast of Coromandel by the 15th of October, and not return to it before the beginning of January: for though, on the coast of Coromandel and through the whole Bay of Bengal, the tempests we have alluded to rarely happen after the beginning of December; and though, during at least four months of each Monsoon, or more than eight months in the year, the winds blow alternately S. W. and N. E. in a moderate and steady gale, yet there are instances of tempests happening sometimes later than the period above mentioned.* The fleets

* On the coast of Coromandel, the violent hurricanes which so frequently accompany the change of the Monsoon from S. W. to N. E. are almost constantly preceded by a large swell rolling in upon the shore. While an English squadron was blockading Pondicherry in 1760, on the 30th December of that year, though the weather was then calm, a prodigious swell began to roll from the Eastward towards the land. The weather became close and dusky; the surf beat so violently on the shore as to render communication with it impossible. Admiral Stevens, who commanded the blockade, aware of his danger, but knowing that the capture of the place depended on preventing provisions from being

of England went formerly to Bombay, when the change of the Monsoon from S. W. to N. E. was expected; those of France to

introduced into it, had, on the first indication of a storm, sent orders to rear-admiral Cornish, who was with a division of the fleet at Trincomaly, to come with all diligence, and, in case of accident to him, take his station.* Early on the 31st it began to blow in hard and progressively increasing squalls. There lay in the road eight ships of the line, two frigates, a fire-ship, and a large ship loaded with stores. During the day the tempest continued to increase, and after sun-set blew with excessive violence. At ten at night the admiral cut his cable, and standing out to sea, made signals for the other ships to do the same. But the roaring of the storm prevented the guns from being heard, and the duskiness of the atmosphere, the lights from being seen. The commanders of the other ships, in obedience to the strict discipline of the English navy, remained; but some parting from their cables were, by the effect of the elements themselves, saved: as, being then free, they succeeded in getting into the offing. Every moment the tempest augmented until about twelve at night, when the wind veering to the N. E. suddenly fell calm; but soon after, it began from the S. E. to blow with greater fury than before. The Newcastle, the Duke of

A duplicate of this letter, which fell into the hands of the French, was published at Paris in a pamphlet written by the late Count d'Estaing,

the island of Mauritius; but of late years those of England have it in their option, as circumstances may determine, either to go

Aquitaine, and the Sunderland line of battle ships; the Queenborough frigate, the Protector fire-ship, and Duke transport, foundered at their anchors, or were dashed to pieces in the surf. On the 1st of January, the sun rose clear, to shew the dreadful effects of the storm; the shore was covered with dead bodies, masts, casks, pieces of timber, and all the other marks of complete shipwreck. The unfortunate Lally, who commanded in the town, immediately dispatched letters to the French agents at the Danish settlement at Tranquebar, and the Dutch settlement at Negapatam, commanding, exhorting, and entreating them to exert every means to send provisions into the town ere the blockade should be renewed. In some letters that were intercepted, written with uncommon animation, he says, that being deserted by man, heaven in pity of him, and in protection of the cause he defended, had come to his deliverance. In saying that he had been deserted by man, he seems to have alluded to M. d'Aché, the French admiral, of whom he ever bitterly complained, first for having left the coast, and secondly for deferring to return to it. On the second of January, admiral Stevens again anchored in the road; admiral Cornish soon after joined him; and in less than a week he had assembled there eleven ships of the line besides frigates, whose boats continually cruizing in all directions near to the shore, intercepted