CAUSE OF NO RAIN ON THE COAST. 167 



say the reason why that which happens but some times in LlB - nr - 

 Europe falles out continually vpon the coast of Peru is, for 

 that this region is very drie and yeeldes no grosse vapors. 

 The drinesse is knowne by the great abundance of sandes, 

 having neither welles nor fouutaines, but of fifteene fathoms 

 deepe (which is the height of a man or more), and that is 

 neere vnto rivers, the water whereof, piercing into the land, 

 giues them nieanes to make welles. So as it hath been 

 found by experience, that the course of rivers being turned, 

 the welles have beene dried vp vntill they returned to their 

 ordinarie course ; and they give this reason for a materiall 

 cause of this effect; but they have another efficient, which 

 is no lesse considerable, and that is the great height of the 

 Sierra, which, comming along the coast, shadowes the 

 Llanos, so as it suffers no winde to blowe from the land, 

 but above the toppes of these mountaines. By meanes 

 whereof there raines no winde but that from the Sea, 

 which finding no opposite, doth not presse nor straine forth 

 the vapors which rise to engender raine, so as the shadowe 

 of the mountaines keepes the vapors from thickning, and 

 convertes them all into rnistes. There are some experiences 

 agree with this discourse, for that it raines vpon some 

 small hilles along the coast, which are at least shadowed, 

 as the rockes of Atico and Arequipa. It hath rained in 

 some yeeres whenas the northern or easterly windes have 

 blowen : yea, all the time they have continued, as it hap 

 pened in seven tie eight, vpon the Llanos of Truxillo, where 

 it rained aboundantly, the which they had not seene in 

 many ages before. Moreover, it raines vpon the same 

 coast, in places, whereas the easterly or northerne windes 

 be ordinarie, as in Guayaquil, and in places whereas the 

 land riseth much, and turnes from the shadow of the moun 

 taines, as in those that are beyond Arequipa. Some discourse 

 in this maner, but let every one thinke as he please. It is 

 most certaine ; that comming from the mountaines to the 



