6o8 JAMAICA, 



vering about the body, and, fermenting, excite It to a corrupt or 

 morbid ftate. Hence it is, that the cahn, ftagnant air of a country, 

 with nioifture and heat, is bad and unwholefome [;v]. Hence too 

 we remark, that Spanifli Town is, ca-teris paribus^ peifcclly 

 healthful in dry weather, although the thermometer be extremely 

 hic^h ; and ever moft fickly, when the air is moift and clofe, though 

 the thermometer be many degrees lower. 



Dry air is very ele£trical. Thus a glafs tube, excited to elec- 

 tricity by friftion, will not only forcibly attraft little drops of 

 water to it, but will alfo draw a fmall llream of falling water, of 

 one tenth of an inch diameter, from a perpendicular into a curve. 

 Is it not accountable, upon this principle, 



I ft, That the land-rains, on the South fide of Jamaica, come 

 off the mountains with more facility and violence atter a leries ot 

 dry weather in the lowlands ? 



2dly, That, after the lowlands have been thoroughly faturated 

 with water, (bowers but feldom come from the mountains; but 

 the clouds, which have difcharged plentifully on the highlands, 

 are frequently feen to hold up on quitting them, and traverfe to 

 fea-ward, over the champaigne country, without letting tall any 

 more rain ? 



3dly, That fometimes, after dry weather la the mountains, 

 curved ftreams of thin rain are feen here and there delcending upon 

 the higheft ridges, either of very (hort continuance, or elfe ap- 

 pearing to increafe In bulk and extent, until a heavy (hower feems 

 collefted over fuch parts ? 



As air attracts water, fo a ftream of water carries a body of air 

 along w'lth it : the air, to ufe the phrafe of Dr. Hales, " rides 

 *' upon it." In all the river-courfes of Jamaica, there is a fenlible 

 current of air. Rain never comes without fome degree of wind ; 

 and we obferve the (bowers, which fall in Jamaica, almoft inva- 

 riably following the very meanders of the larger rivers, unlcis the 

 wind accompanying them is fo violent as to force them into a dif- 

 ferent track. 



When the wind is South and South-weft on the South fide, it is 

 often North-eafterly on the North fide, attended with very heavy 

 rains. 



[y^ Pringlc. 



When 



