Charlie, however, did not wait for this; but, finding that one of the Company's ships would sail, in the course of a few days after their return to Bombay, he obtained leave from Colonel Clive to take a passage in her, and to proceed immediately to Madras.

Tim and Hossein, of course, accompanied him; and the voyage down the west coast of India, and round Ceylon, was performed without any marked incident.
When within but a few hours of Madras, the barometer fell rapidly.
Great clouds rose up upon the horizon, and the captain ordered all hands aloft to reduce sail.
"We are in," he said, "for a furious tempest.

It is the breaking up of the monsoon.

It is a fortnight earlier than usual.

I had hoped that we should have got safely up the Hoogly before it began." Half an hour later the hurricane struck them, and for the next three days the tempest was terrible.