262 Mr Black wi the Climaic 



meteorologic plienomenon. The season broke up rather early 

 this year by thunder storms. 



I have observed, on arriving in the Gulf of Napoli di Bo- 

 mania, in the winter and spring seasons, from Malta, a great de- 

 pression of temperature, with a continuance of the same norther- 

 ly winds, owing in some measure to the anchorage being com- 

 pletely surrounded with snowy mountains. The winds passing 

 over these in the day-time, become saturated with humidity, 

 and the air being at that tenjperature in which the range from 

 the point of saturation to the dew point is very limited, viz. be- 

 tween 45° to 54>° : this humidity is easily precipitated. 



Though I have visited the site of the famous lake of Lerna, 

 on the western side of the gulf, I cannot say whether the Hy- 

 dra snake, whose numerous heads Hercules repeatedly cut off, 

 yet exists under the jess palpable form of the no less venomous 

 miasma ; but I should think, from local appearances, that even 

 Hercules himself might yet find enough to combat with the de- 

 flaon pf the place. 



At Milo there are many sources of febrific miasmata ; but 

 when the winds blow from the northward, they only traverse 

 the promontory of the high and dry land, which forms the east 

 shore of the harbour. To the south of the anchorage, however, 

 there is a good deal of low and marshy land, over which a fog, 

 jpprning and evening, in calm weather, generally rests ; and 

 from which the occasional breezes must arrive, charged with 

 rauph exhalation. In the same southerly directions there are 

 some hot sulphureous springs, which, whatever their influence 

 may really be, are carefully avoided, as hot-beds of sickness, by 

 the inhabitants. It is well known that sickness has raged at 

 tinies severely in this island ; and the ancients seemed to have 

 been aware of the insalubrity of the part mentioned, for all the 

 ruins of antiquity are found to the northward, or on the more 

 elevated land. In the autumn of 1824, a fever broke out, and 

 carried off a great many of the inhabitants. It was said to have 

 been brought from Candia by some Greek refugees, who prin- 

 cipally fell a sacrifice to it. I was told by a Miliote, for they 

 h^ve no medical man on the island, that those whose sickness 

 was followed by an ague generally recovered. 



