is torn up and swept away.

To add to the dire uproar, thunder now peals from the skies in loud,
continuous roars, and in sharp angry crashes, while lightning plays
about in broad sheets all over the sky, the one following so close on
the other as to give the impression of perpetual flashes and an
unintermitting roar; the whole scene presenting an aspect so awful, that
sinful man might well suppose the season of the Earth's probation had
passed away, and that the Almighty were about to hurl complete
destruction upon his offending creatures.

But far other intentions are in the breast of Him who rides upon the
storm. His object is to restore, not to destroy--to gladden, not to
terrify. This tempestuous weather lasts for some days, but at the end
of that time the change that comes over the face of nature seems little
short of miraculous. In the words of Mr Elphinstone, who describes
from personal observation--"The whole earth is covered with a sudden but
luxuriant verdure, the rivers are full and tranquil, the air is pure and
delicious, and the sky is varied and embellished with clouds.

"The effect of this change is visible on all the animal creation, and
can only be imagined in Europe by supposing the depth of a dreary winter
to start at once into all the freshness and brilliancy of spring. From
that time the rain falls at intervals for about a month, when it comes
on again with great violence; and in July the rains are at their height.
During the third month they rather diminish, but are still heavy. In
September they gradually abate, and are often suspended till near the
end of the month, when they depart amid thunders and tempests, as they
came."

Such are the effects of the monsoons upon land and sea. Of course the
terrific gales that usher them in and out could not be expected to pass
without doing a good deal of damage, especially to shipping. But this
is more than compensated by the facilities which they afford to
navigation.

In many parts of the world, especially in the Indian Ocean, merchants
calculate with certainty on these periodical winds. They despatch their
ships with, say, the north-east monsoon, transact business in distant
lands, and receive them back, laden with foreign produce, by the
south-west monsoon. If there were no monsoons, the voyage from Canton
to England could not be accomplished in nearly so short a time as it is
at present.

And now as to the cause of monsoons. They are