4#2 Tbt liar mat tan. [Book V. 



The lunmttan is a very fingular wind, which blows 

 periodically from the interior parts of Africa towards 

 die Atlantic Ocean. The feafon in which it prevails 

 is during the months of December, January, and Fe- 

 bruary.; it comes on indifcrimmately at any hour of 

 th~ day, at any time of the tide, or at any period of 

 the moon, and continues fornetimes only a day or two, 

 fumetimes five or fix days, and it has been known to 

 laft fifteen and fixteen days. There are generally 

 three or four returns of it every feafon. It blows with 

 a moderate force, but not quite fo ftrong as the fea 

 breeze. 



A fog or haze is one of the peculiarities which 

 always accompany the harmattan. The Englifh, 

 French, and Portuguefe forts at Whydah, are not quite 

 , a quarter of a mile afunder, .yet are frequently quite 

 invifible to each other ; the fun, concealed the greatelt 

 part of the day, appears only about a few hours at 

 noon, and then of a mild red, exciting no painful fen- 

 fation on the eye. The particles which conftitute this 

 fog are depofited on the leaves of trees, on the fkins of 

 the negroes, Sec. and make them appear whitifh. 



Extreme drynefs makes another extraordinary pro- 

 perty of this wind \ no dew falls during its continu- 

 ance ; vegetables are withered, and the grafs becomes 

 dry like hay. The natives take this opportunity to 

 clear the land, by fetting fire to the trees and plants 

 while in that dry and exhaufted (late. The drynefs is 

 fo extreme, that the covers of books, even clofely fhut 

 up in a trunk, are bent as if expofed to die fire, llouf- 

 hold furniture is much damaged ; the pannels of wain- 

 fcots fplit, and fineerecl work flies to pieces. The 

 joints of a well-laid floor of feafoned wood open fufE- 

 ciently to admit die breadth of a finger between them ; 

 but become as clofe as before on the ceafuig of the 



harmattan. 



