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ON THE NORTH COAST OF AUSTRALIA.

That part of the coast of New Holland from Cape York to Cape Van Diemen, and extending as far south as the parallel of 12 degrees south latitude, may be said to be within the limit of the east and west monsoons, as at a short distance from the coast, these periodical winds will be found to blow with great regularity.

Near the land, the easterly monsoon sets in between the 1st and middle of April, and the westerly monsoon in October, and sometimes not until November.  At a distance from the land they are probably more regular, as the changes of the monsoons are said to take place about the first week in April and October.

In the month of July, we found the winds between Booby Island and Port Essington, fresh from the eastward, veering at times to East-South-East and occasionally to South-East but rarely to the northward of east.  Close to the land these winds are not so constant, but take more the character of land and seabreezes, and the nights are mostly calm; this we found to be the case during part of the months of July and August, while at anchor in Port Essington.  The general course of the winds during that period was as follows.  A little before sunrise, a breeze sprang up from South or South-South-East which gradually became more easterly as the sun approached the meridian; sometimes in the middle of the day, it was light from the eastward, or calm, and at other times veered gradually to North-East, from which quarter there came a fresh seabreeze every afternoon; this breeze lasted until sunset, and at times later, but the nights were always calm.

We experienced similar winds between Melville Island and Port Essington, but being a short distance from the land, the nights were not calm, although the winds were very light.

During the easterly monsoon, it is difficult to get to the eastward, as at a few miles from the land the current is always running to the westward, and runs strong past the projecting points; but by contriving to be near the land at daylight, at which time the wind is always more southerly, something may be gained.

At Port Essington, the rainy season can scarcely be said to set in before the middle of November; there is then, squally, dirty weather, with rain from the westward and North-West, and at this season, there are at times heavy squalls from South-East accompanied by rain, thunder, and lightning.

In 1838, the westerly monsoon set in at Port Essington, in the first week in November; there had been no rain before that.

THE END.