134 THE SOUTH SEA. 



LIB. in. strange thing the qualitie of this colde aire, which killes 

 and also preserves the dead bodies without corruption. I 

 have also vnderstoode it of a reverend religious man, of the 

 Order of Saint Dominike, and Prelate thereof, who hadde 

 seene it passing by the desarts ; and which is strange, hee 

 reported, that travelling that way by night, was forced to 

 defend himselfe against that deadly winde which blowes 

 there (having no other meanes) but to gather together a 

 great number of those dead bodies that lay there, and 

 made therof, as it were, a rampire and a bolster for his 

 head ; in this manner did he sleepe, the dead bodies giving 

 him life. Without doubt this is a kinde of cold so piercing 

 that it quencheth the vitall heate, cutting off his influence, 

 and, being so exceeding colde, yet doth not corrupt nor 

 give any putrifaction to the dead bodies, for that putrifaction 

 groweth from heate and moystness. As for the other kinde 

 of ayre which thunders vnder the earth, and causeth earth 

 quakes, more at the Indies then in any other regions, I 

 wil speake thereof in treating the qualities of the land at 

 the Indies. We will content our selves now with what wee 

 have spoken of the wind and aire, and passe to that which 

 is to be spoken of the water. 



CHAP. x. Of the Ocean that invirons the Indies, and of the 

 North and South Seas. 



Amongst all waters the Ocean is the principal!, by which 

 the Indies have beene discovered, and are invironed there 

 with ; for either they be Hands of the Ocean sea, or maine 

 land, the which wheresoever it ends is bounded with this 

 Ocean. To this day they have not discovered at the Indies 

 any mediterranean sea, as in Europe, Asia, and Affrike, 

 into the which there enters some arme of this great sea, 



