shore, and are broken with violence upon the rocks; receding but to break again with redoubled force.Distant peals of thunder echo among the lofty ghauts far down the coast, and vivid streams of forked lightning illumine their peaked summits. The dry leaves of the lofty palms rattle overhead, and the forests are agitated and shaken as the hurricane roars through their solemn vistas, and breaks in upon their profound stillness. The soaring kite flaps his outstretched wings, as he rises alarmed from his lone perch, and is hurried away upon the storm. The cattle on the plains congregate together, as if driven by some irresistible impulse to seek the shelter and protection of each other, and lie down with their heads close to the earth, as if conscious of approaching danger; and the poor Hindoo wraps his muslin kummerband tighter around him, as the cool air expands its many folds, and exposes his delicately-formed limbs to the chilly blast. The skies become darkened, and sheets of blazing lightning, followed up by the roar of deafening thunder, succeed each other with fearful rapidity; and, though in broad day, the eye can scarcely bear to look upon the flaming heavens, so intense is their brightness. The elements are indeed at war. Large drops of rain begin to fall; and falling, raise up, in consequence of their weight, a cloud of dust; and then, within a brief space, the mighty floods descend upon the thirsty land. The tempest is terrific to behold, and man trembles beneath the storm. He seeks in haste the shelter of his mud-built cabin, and

mutters a hurried prayer to the stone idol which he has set up. The high houses in the Fort of Bombay vibrate with every clap of thunder; doors and windows, and walls and floors are shaken by the loud artillery of heaven. Torrents of water pour down from every roof, and bound over, in broken streams, the sounding verandahs below them, sweeping the various streets as the flood rushes onward, laden with mud and rubbish, towards the sea. Το those persons who have but just arrived in the country, and who, having never experienced the setting in of this remarkable season, have formed from description but an imperfect idea of that change, the scene is pregnant with horror of every kind. The newly-arrived English woman in particular suffers exceedingly at this period, being scarcely able to divest herself of the impression, that everything around her is about to be destroyed or washed away; yet it is very seldom that accidents occur, or that property is seriously injured. Occasionally we hear of exposed houses being struck by lightning on the island, of old palm trees blown down, and of leaf roofs being dispersed to the four winds of heaven; for woe be unto him who lives in a bungalow with a bad roof, or in one whose spouts are out of order: but with these exceptions, Europeans on shore have but little to be alarmed about for their personal safety. Myriads of mosquitoes, now driven in by the rains, fill your apartments; and your lamps at night, if not pro

perly covered over with a glass shade, are liable to be suddenly extinguished by the large green beetles that have sought shelter from the storm without. Flying bugs almost poison you with their foetid effluvia, and contaminate every article of food upon which they may chance to alight. The muskweasels dart in under your China matting, and find their way into your wine-cellars, and every cork they touch, every bottle they spoil. That nimble and really useful reptile, the house lizard, climbs your walls in all directions, and comes out so regularly from under your table after dinner, to feed upon the flies attracted thither, that you quite look for the active little creature as a matter of course, to amuse you during dessert time; and if he fail to appear, express regret, as I have heard an old gentleman do, at its non-arrival. The loathsome centipede gets into your cooking-houses, and hideous spiders, with hairy bodies and long legs, take up their quarters in every available corner and door-way. They are not content with staying at home quietly like our own respectable, though small species, and of taking their chance of what may be sent them; but they must make daily tours all over the establishment, as if it were expected, that they should pay visits to one another, now that the season had brought them into town. In fact, all the entomological tormentors of India appear to have a design upon your house and happiness. A continual buzzing is kept up around you day and night. Ants creep up your

legs, while fleas irritate your body; and farewell to sleep, if your gauze curtains display any rents at bed-time. The punkahs or swinging fans, suspended in your rooms, now have rest from their labours, for the atmosphere is sufficiently cool without any artificial currents of air. The sweet-scented cuscusmats, or tatties, hung outside between the pillars that support your verandah, and kept wet, in order to lower the temperature of the heated breeze before it enters your house, are now taken down and laid aside; and quite a change takes place in all your little plans within doors. The poor thinly-clad labourers are dreadfully susceptible of cold now; and instead of welcoming the monsoons as a providential visitation ordained by the Almighty for their especial good, they grumble at their long continuance, and rejoice at their departure. 'Tis true the natives suffer much at this inclement season from fever and ague; and the hummals or palanquin bearers, who are necessitated to be out constantly in the rains while carrying their employers to the various scenes of their daily duties, are much to be pitied, as they are liable to attacks of rheumatic fever, and often fall victims to dysentery and cholera in a few hours. These persons are such strange figures, and are dressed up in such odd garments, with their heads and faces tied up to protect them from the weather, that it is difficult to decide to what caste or country they belong. As a class of labourers, they often excited my compassion, as I must say with our

good queen Elizabeth, that it is degrading to see men groaning under the weight of their idle fellowcreatures; and in India these poor wretches have to endure much from direct exposure to the sun, as they cannot, when bearing a palanquin, carry any chittree to shield them from its dangerous heat. I never felt comfortable in one of these palanquins, and hope some humane governor will endeavour to do away with this fashionable mode of conveyance; and that the poor hummals, so long neglected, may rise a little in the scale of civilization. I have seen them deposit their human burdens, after a long journey, perhaps, of four or five miles in the hot season, and sink down almost exhausted upon the door-step, bathed in profuse perspiration that poured down from their panting bodies; and often, on such occasions, have I thought of the comparatively luxurious lives led by our hackney-coachmen. You hire these men by the day, week, or month; but if you keep your own palanquin, they are considered as a part of your domestic establishment, and reside in the compound, or somewhere close to your residence. Palanquins are close and uncomfortable affairs, and, moreover, are extremely awkward to get into, or out of. They are something resembling a sedan-chair turned over upon its side, with a pole sticking out at each end; which pole, when elevated, rests upon the shoulders of the bearers. While carrying them, the hummals have often to rest and change sides, as the swinging motion of the machine

M