EXPLORATIONS IN CAPE REGION. 74I 



reach the Cape Region. The pureness of the air is no- 

 ticeable at once and gives the visitor or invaHd an inde- 

 scribable feeling of pleasure and relief. 



Malarious fevers are almost entirely unknown. The 

 water in the creeks and springs is exceptionally pure 

 and good tasting. The even temperature, the slow 

 changes and small variations in the heat of day and night, 

 winter and summer, are especially favorable. If we add 

 that the three dreaded Mexican diseases, smallpox, yel- 

 low fever and cholera, have never visited San Jose del 

 Cabo, it will be seen that we have good reasons to con- 

 sider the southern part of the Cape Region as one espe- 

 cially favored, a real nature's sanitarium. 



RAINFALL. 



The rainfall in the Cape Region is much more abun- 

 dant and certain than in any other part of Baja California. 

 Located within and on the border of the tropics, the re- 

 gion receives its rain at the time and from the same place 

 of the balance of tropical Mexico, that is during the sum- 

 mer months and from the south, the contrary in many re- 

 spects being the case with that part of Baja California 

 lying to the north. But the rainfall in the Cape Region 

 commences later than on the opposite mainland and is 

 considerably less. The rain commences in July or Au- 

 gust and lasts until October or November. By the end of 

 that month, or before, the summer rain is generally over; 

 there has seldom been December rain. But in January 

 there may be another period of rain from the north, the 

 tail end, so to say, of our Alaska cyclones, which mav in 

 a couple of showers precipitate several inches of rain 

 and greatly to the benefit of the country. The grass 

 starts then anew and many shrubs and plants burst out 

 in leaves and flowers. But this winter rain is generally 

 scant and of short duration. As regards the summer 



