164 PHYSICAL FEATURES OF PERU. 



LIB. in. Indies. The first is, that vpon all that coast it blowes con 

 tinually with one oiiely winde, which is South and South 

 west,, contrary to that which dooth vsually blow vnder the 

 burning Zone. The second is, that this winde, being by 

 nature the most violent,, tempestuous, and vnhealthfull of 

 all others, yet in this region it is marvellous pleasing, health 

 ful, and agreeable, so as we may attribute the habitation 

 of that part therevnto, without the which it would be 

 troublesome and uninhabitable, by reason of the heate, if it 

 were not refreshed with the winde. The third propertie is, 

 that it never raines, thunders, snowes, nor hailes in all this 

 coast, which is a matter worthy of admiration. Fourthly, 

 that a little distance from the coast it raines and snowes 

 terribly. Fiftly, that there are two ridges of mountaines 

 which ruune the one as the other, and in one altitude, not 

 withstanding on the one there are great forrests, and it 

 raines the greatest part of the yeere, being very hote, and 

 the other is all naked and bare, and very colde ; so as 

 winter and summer are divided on those two mountaines, 

 and raine and cleerenesse it selfe. For the better vnder- 

 standing hereof wee must consider that Peru is divided as 

 it were into three partes, long and narrow, which they call 

 Llanos, Sierras, and Andes the Llanos runnes alongest the 

 sea coast, the Sierras be all hilles, with some vallies, and 

 the Andes be steepe and craggie mountaines. The Llanos 

 or sea coast have some temie leagues in breadth, in some 

 parts lesse, and in some parts a little more. The Sierra 

 containes some twentie leagues in breadth, and the Andes 

 as much, sometimes more, sometimes lesse. They runne 

 in length from north to south, and in breadth from east to 

 west. It is a strange thing that in so small a distance as 

 fiftie leagues, equally distant from the Line and Pole, there 

 should bee so great a contrarietie as to raine almost con 

 tinually in one place and never in the other. It never raines 

 vpon the coast or Llanos, although there falles sometimes a 



