6o2 JAMAICA. 



the diftance above-mentioned, growing fainter and fainter, till it is 

 quite fpent ; and here we fall in again with the regular trade, 

 which, at a diftance from large iflands, or the continent, ventilates 

 inceflantly night and day. This is agreeable to the reports of 

 feamen bound for the ifland ; and it is obferved, that the fmaller 

 iflands, as Barbadoes, St. Kitt's, and the reft, have their fea-breeze 

 by night, as well as in the day-time. 



Conformable to this opinion is what may be llkewife remarked 

 in Jamaica; where, during very hot, dry weather, particularly 

 in the month of June, the land is fo heated, and coiifequently the 

 atmofphere which covers it, that the breeze continues to blow 

 during the greater part of the night; the air on the mountains not 

 acquiring fufficient denfity to check or interrupt it. 



A wind from the mountains is often obferved on the South fide, 

 efpecially in the months of May and October ; which by many is 

 inirtaken for the land-wind, but it is not properly to be fo called. 



Heavy, black clouds appear to rife in the South-weft or South 

 towards the fetting-in of the evening, with frequent corrufcations 

 of diitant lightning in the fame quarter. The mercury in the ba- 

 rometer fubfides from one inch to one and a half; the moon at full, 

 or juft paft it. A Wefterly wind fometimes fprings up about eight 

 o'clock in the evening, generally much ftronger than the ufual 

 land-wind ; it continues blowing about two hours, or more ; then 

 dies away ; and, the wind appearing to veer round to the South- 

 ward of the Eaft, very heavy fqualls come on with rain. 



But thefe Wefters are often very gentle ; though, if heavy rains 

 have recently fallen in the quarter of the ifland from whence they 

 feem to blow, they are found proportionably flronger. 



Thefe deviations from the ufual, regular current of air may pro- 

 bably happen by reverberation from the high mountains which di- 

 vide the ifland, the South from the North fide. 



On the 9th of May, after a continuance of fultry weather for 

 the fpace of three weeks, the thermometer, generally at eighty- 

 five, rofe to eighty-eight about feven in the evening ; a fmart wind 

 from the North-weft:, unufual at this time of year, came off 

 the mountains ; about three in the morning, a very violent rain 

 began, attended with a briik fea-breeze from the South-caft, which 



lafted 



