ULLOa's voyage to south AMERICA. 339 



From the middie of December to the end of April, the rains ceafe, and the weather 

 becomes agreeable, the heat being fomewhat abated by the north-eafl winds which then 

 fet in. This feafon they call fummer ; befides which, there is another called the Little 

 Summer of St. John, as, about the feflival of that faint, the rains are intermitted, and 

 refrefhing gales begin to blow, and continue about a month. 



The invariable continuance of fuch great heats, without any fenfible difference be- 

 tween night and day, occafions fuch profufe perfpiration, that the wan and livid com- 

 plexion of the inhabitants would make a ftranger fufped they were juft recovered from 

 fome terrible diftemper. Their aftions are conformable to their colour ; in all their mo- 

 tions there is fomething lax and lluggilh ; it even affeds their fpeech, which is foft and 

 flow, and their words generally broken. But notwithftanding all thefe appearances of 

 ficknefs and debility, they enjoy a good ftate of health. Strangers from Europe retain 

 their ftrength and ruddy colour poffibly for three or four months ; but afterwards both 

 fuffer fuch decays from the exceflive perfpiration, that thefe new-comers are no longer 

 to be diflinguilhed by their countenances from the old inhabitants. Young perfons are 

 generally mofl affeded by the climate, which fpares the more aged, who prefer ve their 

 vivid countenance, and fo confirmed a flate of health, as even to reach their eightieth 

 year and upwards : this is common among all the claffes of inhabitants. 



The fmgularity of the climate, in all probability, occafions the fmgularity of fome 

 of the diftempers which here affed the human race ; and thefe may be confidered in 

 two different lights ; one, as only attacking the Europeans newly landed, and the other, 

 as common both to Creoles and Chapitones. 



Thofe of the firft kind are, in the country, commonly called Chapetonadas, allud- 

 ing to the name given there to the Europeans. Thefe diflempers are fo very deleterious, 

 that they carry off a multitude of people, and thin the crews of European fhips ; but 

 they feldom lafl above three or four days, in which time the patient is either dead or* 

 out of danger. The nature of this diftemper is but little known, being caufed in fome 

 perfons by cold, and in others by indigeftion ; it foon brings on the vomito prieto, or 

 black vomit, which is the fatal fymptom ; very few being ever known to recover. Some, 

 when the vomit attacks them, are feized with fuch a dehrium, that, were they not tied 

 down, they would tear themfelves to pieces, and thus expire in the midft of their fu- 

 rious paroxyfms. It is remarkable, that only the new-comers from Europe are fubjed 

 to this diftemper, and that the natives, and thofe who have lived fome time here, are 

 never affected by it ; but enjoy an uninterrupted ftate of health, amidft the dreadful havock 

 it makes among others. It is alfo obferved to rage more among the common feamen, 

 than thofe who have been able to live on more wholefome food ; whence, fait meat has 

 been confidered as pernicious in bringing on this diftemper, and that the humours it 

 produces, together with the labour and hardihips of the feamen, incline their blood to 

 putrefaction, and from this putrefaction the vomito prieto is fuppofed to have its origin. 

 Not that the failors are its only vidtims, for even paffengers, who poffibly have not 

 tafted any fait meat during the voyage, often feel its effeds. Another remarkable cir- 

 cumftance is, that perfons who have been once in this climate are never after, upon their 

 return again, fubjed to this diftemper ; but enjoy the fame ftate of health with the 

 natives, even though they do not lead the moft temperate lives. 



The inveftigation of the caufe of this ftrange diftemper has exercifed the attention of 

 all the furgeons in the galleons, as well as the phyficians of the country ; and the refult 

 of their refearches is, that they impute it to the food, labour, and hardfhips of the 

 feamen. Doubtlefs thefe are collateral caufes ; but the principal queftion is, why per- 

 fons exempt from thofe inconveniences, frequently die of the diftemper ? Unhappily, 



X X 2 ■ after 



