Hifhrie of the Indies, lib.z. 101 



That the Burning Zone it not 'violently hotte, but mode 

 rate. CHAP. 9. 



Hitherto wee hauc treated of the humiditie of the 

 Burning Zone, now it (hall be fit todifcoinfeof 

 the other two qualities, Hotte, and Colde. We have 

 (hewed in the beginning of this Difcourfe , how the 

 Ancients held that the burning Zone was hotte and 

 exceeding drie,the which is not fo 5 for it is hote and 

 moift,and in the greateft part, the heat is not excefiive, 

 but rather moderate, which {ome would hold incredi 

 ble, if we had not tried it. When I pafled to the todies, 

 I will tell what chaunced vnto mee: having read what 

 Poets and Philofbphcrs write of the burning Zone, I 

 perfwaded my felfe,that comming to the Equinoftiall, 

 Ifliould not indure the violent heate, but it fell out 

 otherwifqfor when I paffed , which was when the fun 

 was there for Zenith, being entered into Aries, in the 

 moneth of March, I felt fo great cold , as I was forced 

 togointothefunne towarme me, what couldlelfe 

 do then , but laugh at Arittotks Meteors and his Philo* 

 fophie, feeing that in that place, and at thatfeafon, 

 whenas all fhould be fcorched with heat, according to 

 his rules, I, and all my companions were a coldeV In 

 truth there is no region in the world more pleafant and 

 temperate, then vnder the Equino&iall , although it 

 be not in all parts of an equall temperature , but have 

 great diverfities. The burning ^one in fome parts is 

 very temperate 3 as in guiuo , and on the plaines of Pe- 

 f#,in (ome partes verie colde, as at Potozi , and in fome 

 very hote, as in Ethiopia, Brefill, and the UMolucques. : 

 This diverfitie being knowne and certaine vnto vs, we 

 muft offeree, fceke out another caufe of cold and heat 



H 3 then 



