76 A VOYAGE TO Book VIÍ. 



which means the vapouvjs which had heen exhaling 

 during' the whole day, after being carried by the 

 strongest current of wind to a certain distance^ ascend- 

 ed to the region where the drisas prevailed ; andbe- 

 ing thetc repelled by theni;, had time to condense ; 

 for being within that region where the rain is form- 

 ed, or where many imperceptible drops compose one 

 of a large magnitude and gravity, and being more 

 minutely divided by the influence' of the sun, they 

 continued to ascend, till that power ceasing by the 

 setting of the sun, they again condensed, and their 

 weight becoming too heavy to be supported in the 

 air, tliey descended in rain, which was the more 

 violent as the vapours were strongly repulsed by the 

 brisas. At the da^^n, these winds, as usual, began 

 to decrease, and the rain gradually lessened. The 

 isouth winds blew all day as before; and there being 

 then in the atmosphere, no other winds to oppose 

 them, they carried with them the vapours as they 

 exhaled, and the atmosphere continued clear and 

 serene. 



This happened at Chocope, situated at a much 

 greater distance from the parts to which the brisas 

 extend than Tumbez, Piura, Sechura, and other 

 towns where this is more frequent, as being nearer 

 the equinoctial : notwithstanding, no brisas or north 

 w iuds are felt in that part of the atmosphere near the 

 surface of the earth. So that it is probable, or ra- 

 tlier indeed evident from experience, that the 

 north winds at the time they prevail, more easily 

 reach to the countries nearest the equinoctial, than 

 to those at a greater distance, though not so as to be 

 felt in the atmosphere near the earth , but in a more 

 elevated region. Consequently, it is natural for 

 rains to be more frequent in the former tiian in the 

 hitter, where these winds very seldom reach, whe- 

 ther in that part of the atmosphere contiguous to 



the 



