'il8 HisrottY OI-- 



Houever, this languid and spiritless existence is treqiicnfly 

 riiiiwled on sometimes even to eighty. Young persons ai-e gene. 

 ral'y most affected by the heat of the climate, which spares the 

 HiOre aged ; but all. upon their arrival on the coai^ts, are subject 

 to the same train of fatal disorders. Few nations have experL 

 enced the mortality of these coasts so much as our own : in oui 

 unsuccessful attack upon Carthagena, more than three parts of 

 our army were destroyed by the climate alone ; and those that 

 returned from that fatal expedition, found their former vigour 

 irretrievably gone. In our more fortunate expedition, which 

 gave us the Havannah, we had little reason to boast of our suc- 

 cess ; instead of a third, not a fifth part of the army were left 

 survivors of their victory, the climate being an enemy that even 

 heroes cannot conquer. 



The distempers that thus proceed from the cruel malignity of 

 those climates, are many : that, for instance, called the Chapo- 

 tonadas, carries off a multitude of people ; and extremely thins 

 tiie crews of European ships, whom gain tempts into those in- 

 hospitable regions. The nature of tliis distemper is but little 

 known, being caused in some persons by cold, in others by in- 

 digestion. But its effects are far from being obscure j it is ge- 

 nerally fatal in three or four days : upon its seizing the patient, 

 it brings on what is there called the black vomit, which is the sad 

 symptom after which none are ever found to recover. Some, 

 when the vomit attacks them, are seized with a delirium, that, 

 were they not tied down, they would tear themselves to pieces, 

 and thus expire in the midst of this furious paroxysm. This 

 disorder, in milder climates, takes the name of the bilious fever, 

 and is attended with milder symptoms, but very dangerous in all. 



There are many other disorders incident to the human body, 

 that seem the offspring of heat ; but to mention no other, tha 

 very lassitude which prevails in all the tropical climates, may be 

 considered as a disease. The inhabitants of India,' says a mo- 

 dern philosopher, sustain an unceasing languor, from the heats 

 of their climate, and are torpid in the midst of profusion. Foi 

 this reason, the great Disposer of nature has clothed their coun- 

 try with trees of an amazing height, whose shade might defend 

 them from the beams of the sun ; and whose continual fresh. 



I Linniei Amseuitates, vol. v. p. 44-t. 



