128 STRANGE EFFECTS OF WINDS. 



CHAP. TX. Of some marvellous effects of the windes, which 

 are in some paries of the Indies. 



It were a very difficult matter to report particularly the 

 admirable effectes which some windes cause in divers regions 

 of the world, and to give a reason thereof. There are 

 windes which naturally trouble the water of the sea, and 

 makes it greene and blacke, others cleere as Cristall ; some 

 comfort and make glad, others trouble and breede heavines. 

 Such as nourish silkewormes have great care to shut their 

 windowes whenas the South-west windes do blow, and to 

 open them to the contrarie ; having found by certaine 

 experience that their wormes diminish and die with the one 

 and fatten and become better with the other ; and who so 

 will neerely observe it shall finde in himself that the diversi 

 ties of windes cause notable impressions and changes in the 

 bodie, principally in sicke partes and ill disposed, when they 

 ami u. 10 are mos t tender and weake. The holy scripture calleth one 

 i!miv. V11 & burning winde, another a winde full of dew and svveetnes. 

 Dan. iii. And it is no wonder if we see such notable effects of the 

 windes in plants, beasts, and men, seeing that we see it 

 visibly in yron, which is the hardest of all mettalls. I have 

 scene grates of yron in some partes of the Indies so rusted 

 and consumed that, pressing it betwixt your fingers, it 

 dissolved into powder, as if it had been hay or parched 

 straw, the which proceedes only from the winde which doth 

 corrupt it, having no meanes to withstand it. But leaving 

 apart many other great and notable effects, I will onely 

 make mention of two. The one, although it causeth pangs 

 greater than death it selfe, yet doth it not breede any further 

 inconvenience. The other takes away life without feeling 

 of it. The sicknes of the sea, wherewith such are troubled 

 as first begin to go to sea, is a matter very ordinary ; and 

 yet if the nature thereof were vnknowne to men, we should 



