TÍ2 . A VOYAGE TO Book IÍÍ. 



]y, tuTit in Cartha.^ena, Porto Bcllojiind Panama, the 

 inhabitants have a very iinguiar pronunciation ; and 

 as fonic nations i)ave a haughty acc:eni, Ibmc a polite-' 

 ncfs in their manner of expreÜion, and others fpeak in 

 a very quick manner; fo here their pronunciation has 

 a faintnefs and languor, which is very dilagreeable, 

 till we are reconciled to it by cuiiom. And what is 

 Í3Í11 more particular, each of theie tliree cities has a 

 different accent in ihis lauijuor ; befides particular fyl- 

 labics peculiar to each, and no Ids different than they 

 are from 4he manner of fpeaking ufed in Spain. This 

 may, in fome meailire, iiow fron) an ill habit of body, 

 weakened by the exceliive heat of the climate ; but 1 

 believe it is principally owing to cuftom. 



The only difference between the chínate of Cartha- 

 «fena and this is, that fummer beixins later, and ends 

 iboner, as, the longer the briias delay their return, the 

 fooner they are over. From many thermometrical ob- 

 fervations made on feveral days without any lenñble 

 difference betwixt them at the lame hours, on the 5th 

 and 6th of January 1736, at fix in the morning, they 

 found theliquorat io20|, at noon 1023^: and at three in 

 the afternoon at 1025. But, at the tame time, it 

 muft be obferved, tliat the briias now began to blow, 

 and, coni'equently, it was not the time ot' the greateft 

 beats; thele prevailing in the months of Augult, Sep- 

 ieiTiber, and Oéiober. 



Though this climate would naturally be luppofed 

 to produce the fame plants with others in the fame lati- 

 tude, it is very different. Nor does this feem to pro- 

 ceed from any dcfeit in the foil, but from thefondneis 

 of the inhabitants for trade, and their total ncglec\ of 

 a^'riculture, as too laborious. But, be the real canfe 

 of it what it wii!, this is certain, that even in the parts 

 contiguous to the city, the land is kft entirely to na- 

 ture; nor does the l::aft veil ige. remain of its being 

 formerly cultivated. From hence proceeds a fcarcity 

 QÍ all things, andj confequeiitly, tbey are fold at a 



high 



