ABUNDANCE OF WATER IN THE T1JOPICS. 81 



CHAP. vi. That the burning Zone abounds with waters and 



pastures, against the opinion of Aristotle, wlio holds 



tlie contrarie. 



By the former Discourse wee may easily conceive that the LlB - TI&amp;gt; 

 burning Zone is not drie, but abounding with waters ; the 

 which is so true, as it exceeds all the Regions of the world 

 for store of waters, except in some parts, where there are 

 sands and desart Countries, as wee finde likewise in some 

 other parts of the world. As for water from Heaven, wee 

 have alreadie shewen that there is great aboundance of raine, 

 snow, and haile, which especially abound in the kingdome 

 of Peru. But as for land- waters, as rivers, fountaines, 

 brookes, springs, floods, and lakes, I have not spoken thereof 

 till now ; yet, being an ordinarie thing, that the waters be 

 low have a correspondence with them above, wee must not 

 imagine that there can bee any want : and in trueth there is 

 so great store of springs and fountaines, as you shall not 

 finde in any Region or Countrie of the world ; so many 

 lakes, marishes, and such store of rivers, for the greatest 

 part of America is almost uninhabitable through too great 

 aboundance of waters ; for that the rivers, swelled with the 

 great Raines in Summer, doe often overflow their banckes 

 with such furie, as they breake all they incounter : and in 

 many places they cannot passe, by reason of the mudde and 

 myre of marishes and vallies : for this cause, those that live 

 neere to Paraguay (whereof wee have made mention), fore 

 seeing the rising of the River before it comes, put them 

 selves and their goods into Canoes, and so preserve them 

 selves and their goods, floating vp and downe, almost for 

 the space of three moneths : and when the River is returned 

 within her boundes, then they goe to their houses, still 

 wette and dropping with the flood. And this River is so 

 great, as Nile, Ganges, and Euphrates all together cannot 



