Prrtiss 
The Introduction. 
rifing gradually as the Sun rifes, is another caufe of this Ait’s being 
the more temperate. There is before Rain, very often here, a great 
heat (alchough the Sun be over-clouded) as well as uneafinefs on 
Men’s Bodies, efpecially thofe that are fickly, which fo foon as the 
Rain falls is quite removed. This is common to other parts of the 
world as well as this place, and feems to proceed from moifture, or 
rather from the fpring of the humours of the Body diftending the Vel- 
fels, the Atmofphere being then lighter,and more moift. The Breeze 
from Land at night is very cooling, though thought very unhealchy 
by the Spaniards, on what account { know not. ’ Tis ufually argued 
from Irons rufting very foon here, that the Air is corroding ; but this 
I believe comes from the Heat, whereby moft People {weat, which 
being falt and very penetrating corrodes the Iron, and rufts it when 
they couch ic, or keep ir in their Pockets, On the Mountains and 
high Land ’tis much cooler than inthe Valleys; in chefe laft the Sun 
Beams are reflected, from the fides of the neighbouring rifing Grounds 
fo on one another, that they feem to make in feveral places a kind of 
Focus as in a Burning-Glafs, I-never found more heat here than 
as in fome Valleys near Montpelier where the fituation of the Hills in 
their neighbourhood occafioned exceffive heat. The Savannas are 
here likewile the more Temperate; becaufe they are places where 
few Sun Beams are refle€ted on the Body, having few {mall rifing — 
Hills to interrupt the courfe of the Breezes, or reflect the Sun Beams 
The Air here, nocwithftanding the heat, is very healthy, { have 
kniown Blacks one hundred and twenty years of Age, and one 
hundred years old is very common amongft Temperate Livers. 
Thé Mercury ia ‘the Barometer ftands at about the fame heighth 
and has the fame alterations as in England, though it change not fo 
often asin England. Gi J | gecds dase 
The Ait is here not more Nitrous thaft'in England, nor is there any 
Saltpetre to be had from any natural Earth; but fome kind of Tincal 
Or Borax out of a red Earth, which is improper for the culture of 
Sugar-Canes, What Salepetre is to be had here, is from the Earch 
dug out of Caves where Indians were buried, or where Bats, and 
their Dung, are in great quantities. This Iam certain of, be- 
caufe the Duke of Albemarle cattied feveral people to Jamaica on pur 
pofe to try to make Saltpetre, having had a Pacent for that Defign. 
’Tis frequent, riding in the night, to meet with here and there an 
hor Blaft, for fome few paces of Earth-you ride over ; thele Blafts, 
which are alfo met within Egypt, and other parts of che World, are 
counted very unhealthy, as are alfo Norths, which blow clear over 
the Ifland fora Month together, about Chriftmas, in which time, in 
the North fide, no Canes ‘will grow, but it planted, the Worms eat 
them. © : 
(¢) Butter 
