6i.8 



JAMAICA. 



TABLE of one year's rain at an average taken frcm 1761 to 1764, 

 compared with Sir H. Sloane's. 



10: 



53 



In the former comparative table 1 multiplied Sir H. Sloane's total of 

 ten months and feventeen days by eight, in order to make it more 

 agreeable to the eight years obfervation compared with it. From 

 thefe tables, it appears very probable, that full twice as much rain fell 

 in and about Spanifli Town about eighty or ninety years ago as falls 

 now. 



In the latter table for one year, if we fuppofe that from the 17th 

 of March to the ift of May, a fpace omitted by Sir H. Sloane, and 

 at a time of the year when rains generally happen, there were in 

 forty-four days (the fpace omitted) only three rainy days, which 

 furely is a very low computation, it follows that there were jufl twice 

 as many rainy days in the year as at prefent. 



Hence we may conclude that the heat is not fo incommodious now 

 as it formerly was, for a damp hot air is not only more diftreffing, 

 bat more unhealthful than a dry hot air. We cannot well account 

 for this difference otherwife than by fufpedling that the climates of 

 moft countries on the globe undergo fome change in the revolution 

 of many years j and, exclufive of this, we are to afcribe fomething to 

 the clearing of woods in the mountainous parts, which has given a 

 freer fcope to the wind and vapours. The atmofphere of the town 

 and adjacent country is probably more cool and pleafant than it was 

 in SirH. Sloane's time, when, by confinement of vapours, the weather 

 mud have been often very fultry. The lowlands now are lefs fre- 

 quently refrelhed with rain, but they are the lefs annoyed with 

 mufkeetos, and therefore more pleafant for habitation. Yet Sir Hans 

 fpeaks of them in a favourable manner. "^The air, fays he, may well 

 " be afffrmed temperate, in that the heat of the day is qualified by 

 " the length of the night, fo that the fun has not time fufficient to 



«' heat 



