'A voyage from England to India, in the year 1754, and an historical narrative of the operations of the squadron and army in India, under the command of Vice-Admiral Watson and Colonel Clive, in the years 1755, 1756, 1757 ... Also a journey from Persia to England by an unusual route. With an appendix, containing an account of the diseases prevalent in Admiral Watson's squadron, etc.' [‎55] (84/562)

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C H A P. V.
'The fquadron fails from Madrafs for Trinconomale in Ceylon.— Defeription of
that harbour and ifland.—Account of the Cinnamon-tree, &c. with the minerals,
and vegetable and animal productions.—Particular defcription of the Elephant
and Tyger, and various forts of venomous infers, &c.
ON the coaft of Coromandet, the N. E. monfoon * blows from November
to March or April r and fomctimes to May, when the S. W. monfoon
commences. Along this coaft the current generally fets with the wind ; to the
northward in the S. W. monfoon, and to the fouthward in the N. E. mon
foon. To avoid the danger that might, and too frequently doth enfue from
the fhifting of the monfoon, we failed from Madrafs the 7th of April, in
company with the Cumberland, Tyger, Salifhury and Bridgewater, for Trin
conomale in the ifland of Ceylon, and on the 22d of the fame month came to
an anchor in that harbour. At five in the afternoon Mynheer Van Beaumount
the governor came on board to congratulate the admiral on his fafe arrival at
Trinconomale, and to offer him every affiftance the place afforded. At his
leaving the fhip we faluted him with 13 guns. He afterwards waited on
Commodore Pocock on board the Cumberland, and at his taking leave of him,
was faluted by the fame number of guns. The next day the admiral and
commodore, attended by all the captains of the fquadron, waited on the
governor at the fort ^ they were received in the great hall with trumpets,
drums, and three vollies of fmall arms. After drinking coffee, tea, and a
glafs or two of wine, they took their leave. They were complimented, both
at their entering and quitting the fort, with a difcharge of 21 guns.
Trinconomale harbour is a very good one for fhips to put into when in
diftrefs, and perhaps is better calculated for wooding and watering a fqua
dron, than any other in the Eaft Indies. It very much refembles that of
Portfmouth, and is almoft quite land-locked ; but this laft circumftance, in fo
■ * There is a fpeclesof winds obfervable in the Indian feas, within the tropics, called by the
failors monfoons, which during fix months of the year blow one way; and the remaining fix
the other.
The occafion of them in general is this: when the fun approaches the northern tropic,
there are feveral countries, as /Irabia, Perjia, India, &c. which become hotter, and refieft
more heat than the feas beyond the equator, which the fun has left; the winds therefore,
inllead of blowing from thence to the parts under the equator, blow the contrary way; and
when the fun leaves thofe countries, and draws near the other tropic, the winds turn ^bout,
and blow on the oppofite fide of the compafs. At the time of the fhifting of thefe winds, the
Indian feas are very fubjeft to be tempeiluous, and the navigation becomes very unfafe.
JI owking's Natural Philofophy, vol. i.
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