Hiftorie of the Indies, lib. 2* 



Skewing the reafon why the Sunne without the Troficks^ 

 caufitkgreatejl quantitie of waters when it is far theft 

 fff^andcontrariwifi 9 within them it breedeth moft t 

 when ttti neereft. CHAP. 7. 



Onfidcring with my felfe often titnes,what fhotiki 

 ' caufe the Equinoctial to be fb moift,as I have faid 

 to refute the opinion of the Ancients, I finde no other 

 reafon,but the great force of thefunne in thofe panes, 

 whereby it drawes vnto it a great aboundance of va 

 pors from out of the Ocean, which in thofe parts is ve 

 ry great and fpatious : and having drawne vnto it this 

 great aboundance of vapours , doth fuddenly diflblve 

 them into raine 5 and it is approoved by many tryed ex- 

 perienees.that theraine and great ffermes from heaven 

 proceed from the violent heat of the Sunne: firft (as 

 we have (aid before) it raines in thofe countries>when- 

 as the Sunne cafts his beames direftly vpon the earth, 

 at which time he hath moft force : but when the Sun 

 retyres,theheatis moderate, and then there falls no 

 raine: whereby we may conclude, that the force and 

 heat of the Sunne is the caufe of raine in thofe Coun 

 tries. Moreover we obferve, both in7Vr,New Spawe y 

 and in all the burning Zonc,t\\at the raine doth vfually 

 fall in after-noone , when as the funne-beames are in 

 their greateft force , being ftrange to fee it raine in the 

 rno;ning. And therefore travellers fore- feeing it,bcgin 

 their Journey es earely , that they may end and reft be 

 fore noone/or they hold that common lv it raines after 

 noone. Such as have frequented and travelled rhofe 

 Countries, can fufficiently fpeake thereof. And there 

 are, that ( having made fome abode there) fay 5 thar the 



greateft 



