THE EARTH. 307 



with little white maggots, that were brought with 

 the hurricane. Our first mariners, when they 

 visited these regions, were ignorant of its effects, 

 and the signs of its approach ; their ships, there- 

 fore, were dashed to the bottom at the first on- 

 set, and numberless were the wrecks which the 

 hurricane occasioned. But at present, being fore- 

 warned of its approach, they strip their masts of 

 all their sails, and thus patiently abide its fury. 

 These hurricanes are common in all the tropical 

 climates. On the coasts of Guinea they have 

 frequently three or four in a day, that thus shut 

 out the heavens for a little space ; and, when 

 past, leave all again in former splendour. They 

 chiefly prevail on that coast in the intervals of 

 the trade-winds ; the approach of which clears 

 the air of its meteors, and gives these mortal 

 shores that little degree of wholesomeness which 

 they possess. They chiefly obtain there during 

 the months of April and May ; they are known 

 at Loango from January to April : on the oppo- 

 site coast of Africa, the hurricane season begins 

 in May ; and, in general, whenever a trade-wind 

 begins to cease, these irregular tempests are 

 found to exert their fury. 



All this is terrible ; but there is a tempest 

 known in those climates, more formidable than 

 any we have hitherto been describing, which is 

 called, by the Spaniards, a tornado. As the 

 former was seen arriving from one part of the 

 heavens, and making a line of destruction, so the 

 winds in this seem to blow from every quarter, 

 and settle upon one destined place with such 



