Bokl  Sland off BARBADOS. 9 
Climates, either to the Southward, or to the Northward, of the Tropics. 
And fuch is the Serenity and Clearnefs of the Atmofphere, that the Air The lee 
is, in general, very healthy: But what chiefly conduces to its Purity, is a a 
the Regularity of theTrade-Winds, which, feldom varying throughout the oF a 
Year, further from the Eaft, than to the Eaft-north-eaft, and confe- 
quently paffing over a vaft Tract of Water of about 3127 Miles (for about 
that Diftance from us, is the neareft Point of (2) Land on the oppofite 
Shore), or were it only even what lies betwixt the Tropic and our Lati- 
tude, it muft neceffarily blow upon the Ifland in cool refrefhing Gales. 
It is likewife no {mall Advantage, or rather Happinefs, that we have 
neither Bogs nor Marfhes, to ftagnate our Waters, which, being exhaled 
into Vapours, might be pernicious ; nor large Forefts of Trees, which not 
only prevent the Winds in their Paflage, but likewife generate moift Air, 
caufed by the great Quantity of Vapours which perfpire through their 
Leaves, as well as from the fhaded moift Soil: By this means the Inha- 
_ bitants are free from the Fever and Ague, fo common to the Inhabitants 
of uncultivated Iflands. 
As it cannot be foreign to my Subje&, I beg Leave to offer a few pro- Arguments 
bable: Conjectures, to prove that the Current of the Deluge, between the ane thie 
Tropics, ran from Eaft to Weft. One Argument that may be offered to pene 
rove this, is the fhattered Condition of the Eaftward Side of that Chain tnge, be- 
of Hills and Clifts, which are as Barriers to this Iland, from Cuckold’ ser oe 
Point, to a Place called Confet’s Bay ; for, as they face the Eaft, their torn ene 
State, in that Part alone, and no-where elfe, fhews, that they not only, °°" 
by their Situation, firft ftemmed, but, as they were higher than any other 
Part of the Ifland, they wholly bore the repeated Percuffions of the Cur- 
rent in the gradual Afcent of the Deluge, as well as, during the Conti- 
nuance thereof, the Force of the Tides, until they were intirely over- 
whelmed ; and even then, the higher they were, the nearer their Sum- 
mits would be to the Surface ; therefore the greater Arch of a Circle they 
would defcribe ; and confequently, they would be more violently preffed 
and torn by the Water, than Places nearer to the Centre. 
This is evidently feen from the boifterous Surface of the Sea in a 
Storm, whofe Violence often wafhes, or rather tears off large Pieces of 
Rocks, whilft, at the fame time, the tendereft Sea Plant, at any confider- 
able Depth, is not difturbed. 
From hence we may obferve, that by how much the lower the level 
Land, and the Valleys were, than the Tops of the Hills, by fo much lefs 
they were difturbed; and confequently, upon the Decreafe of the Deluge, 
the fooner, and in greater Quantity, would the Dregs and Sediment 
(which trailed gently along an even Bottom) fubfide and fettle: And 
from hence, in part, proceed the different Degrees of Fertility in the Soils 
of Hills and Valleys (3). Another Argument, that the Current of the In- 
ry undation, 
(2) Portaventura in Africa. (3) The very deep Soil of moft fertile low Countries, fuch as 
Egypt, may be, in all Probability, primarily owing to the fubfided Feces of the Deluge. 
