THE TRADE WINDS. 117 



CHAP. v. Of tJie differences of the Br is as or East erne windes, 

 and the Westerns, and likewise of other windes. 



Although that which we have spoken be generall and well LlB - m - 

 approoved, yet there rernaines still a desire in me to learne 

 the cause of this secret, why vnder the burning Zone we 

 saile alwaies from East to West with so great facilitie, and 

 not from West to East, which is as much as if wee should 

 demaund why the Easterly windes raine there, and not the 

 Westerly, for that according to good Philosophie that which 

 is perpetuall, vniversall, and of it selfe (as the Philoso 

 phers say), must have a proper cause and of it selfe. But 

 before I stay at this question, which seemes remarkeable, 

 it shal be necessary to shew what we vnderstand by Brisas 

 or Easterly windes and Westerly, for that it will serve 

 much for this subiect, and for many other matters touching 

 windes and navigations. The Pilotes make two and thirty 

 poynts of windes, for that to bring their ship to the desired 

 haven they must make their account as punctually and as 

 strictly as they can, for bending to the one side or the other 

 never so little, in the end of their course they should finde 

 themselves farre from their pretended place. And they 

 reckon but two and thirty quarters of the windes, for that 

 more woulde confound the memorie. But with reckoning 

 as they accompt two and thirty windes, so may they reckon 

 three score and foure, one hundred twenty and eight, and 

 two hundred fifty and six. Finally, multiply these partes 

 to an infinite, for the place where the shippe is, being as 

 it were the centre, and all hemisphere in circumference, 

 what should let but wee may accompt lines without number, 

 the which comming from this centre drawe directly to these 

 lineall circles in so many partes, which might cause as 

 many diverse windes, seeing that the winde comes from 

 all partes of the hemisphere, which we may divide into as 



