DURATION or HUMAN LIFE. 49 
capital of that province, is, in his opinion, as healthy a 
fpot as any on the continent. He afferts, that the Spanifh 
inhabitants lived here to a great age; and that the people 
of the Havanna confidered it as their Montpelier, fre- 
quenting it for the fake of health.---According to Captain 
Romans, the climate of Weft-Florida agrees, in every re- 
fpect, with that in the Northern divifion of Eaft-Florida ; 
excepting that the winters are fomewhat more fevere, in 
the former---He fays there were fuch inftances of longe- 
vity in Weft-Florida, as were not to be outdone in any 
part of America. Yet circumftances, fimilar to thofe 
which render particular /twations, in fome of our Southern 
ftates, unfavorable to health,---produce fimilar effets in 
fome parts of thefe two provinces; though in a greater 
degree. Clavigero (in his hiftory of Mexico) afferts that 
Calmecahua, one of the Tlafcalan captains who aflifted 
VOL. III. G the 
more falubrious and pleafant. This change was more remarkable in the heart of the country, 
than in the maritime parts, where the beft plantations of rice are, and where water is carefully 
preferved to overflow the fields: yet even in thofe places, cultivation has been attended with falu- 
tary effects---tzme and experience had now taught the planters, that, during the autumnal 
months, their living among the lowrice plantations fubjected them to many diforders, from 
which the inhabitants of the casita! were entirely exempt: ‘This induced the richer part to 
retreat to Tow, during this unhealthy feafon. Governor Ellis has mentioned that, on the 7th 
of July, while he was writing in his piazza, in Savanna, the Mercury ftood at 102° in the 
fhade ; that it had twice rifento that height, during the fummer, feveral times to 100° and, 
for many days together, to 93°; and inthe night, it did not fink below 89°. He had the 
fame thermometer with him, in the equatorial parts of Africa, in Jamaica, and in the Lew- 
ard iflands: yet itappears, that he never found it fo high in thofe places ;---its general ftation 
was between 79° and 86°. Heacknowledges, however, that he felt thofe degrees of heat, in 
a moift air, more difagreeable than at Savanna, when the themometer ftcod at 84° in his cellar, 
at 102° in the ftory above it, and in the upper ftory of his houfe, at ro5°.—And he afferts, 
that few peopledied at Savanna, out of the ordinary courfe; though many were working in 
the open air, expofed to the fun during this extreme heat, (Sce notes to the tables, N°. 11.) 
The town of Savanna being fituated ona fandy eminence, greatly increafes the heat’ of that 
fpot: But the climate of Georgia, in general, like that of South-Carolina, is more mild and 
temperate in the inland, than in the maritime parts. And the late Dr. Moultrie,—who re- 
fided, and practifed phyfic with great reputation, in South-Carolina, fifty years—was of opie 
nion, that Charlefton is as healthy a fpot, as any upon carth.—A writer, ima late Charlefton 
aper—who fubfcribes the fignature H. L. and dates from St. Johns, Berkeley, (fuppofed to 
ie Henry Laurens, Efq.) fays he has frequently heard Dr. Moultrie declare that opinion : and 
this writer gives the names of fifteen perfons, who had died in South-Carolina, within a fhort 
time paft, whofe ages average 83% each:—three of the fifteen averaged 105% years, each. 
He mentions, alfo, thata great number of other inftances might be adduced, of perfons who 
within his own memory, lived to the like great ages;—feveral, upwards of roo years. 
On the whole, it is evident—that, in South-Carolina and Georgia, the flat, marfhy parte 
of the country,. and the artificial fwamps which the culture of Rice and Indigo render necefla« 
ry,—are, only, unhealthful: but that high, airy anddry fituations, in thofe ftates, experi- 
ence no fuch effect, from the Aeat of the climate. 
