WINDS IN THE INDIES. 1.13 



CHAP. iv. That in the burning Zone, the Brisas, or Easterly 



windes, do continually blowe, and without the Zone the 



luesterne, and that the Easterly are ordinarie 



alwaies there. 



The waies at Sea are not as at Land, to returne the same ^IB. T - 

 way they passe. It is all one way, saieth the Philosopher, 

 from Athens to Thebes, and from Thebes to Athens ; but it 

 is not so at Sea, for we go one way, and returne by an 

 other. The first which discovered the east and west Indies, ^ an - d ? 



Barros 111 



laboured much with great difficultie to finde out their course, ^ c ^, G C a. 6. 

 vntill that Experience (the mistris of these secrets) had 

 taught them, that to saile through the Ocean is not like the 

 passage in Italie, through the Mediterranean sea, where, in 

 their returne, they observe the same Ports and Capes they 

 had sight of in their passage, attending still the benefite of 

 the winde, which changeth instantly, and when that failes, 

 they have recourse to their owers ; and so the Gallies go 

 and come daily, coasting along the shoare. In some partes 

 of the Ocean, they may not looke for any other winde then 

 that which blowes, for that commonly it continues long, 

 To conclude, that which is good to go by, is not fit to re 

 turne with : for in the sea beyond the Tropicke, and within 

 the burning Zone, the Easterly windes raine continually, 

 not suffering their contraries. In the which region, there 

 are two strange things : the one is, that in that Zone (being 

 the greatest of the five into the which the world is divided) 

 the Easterly windes (which they call Brisas) do raine, not 

 suffering the Westerne or Southerne (which they call lower 

 windes), to have their course at any season of the yeere : 

 The other wonder is, that these Easterly windes never cease 

 to blow, and most commonly in places neerest to the line, 

 where it seemes that calmes should be more frequent, being 

 a part of the world most subiect to the heate of the Sunne ; 



i 



