of the I [land of Barbadbes. 



27 



Eight months of the year,the weather is very hot,yet not fo fcalding, 

 but that fervants, both ChriftianSjQnd flaves^labour and travel ten hours 

 in a day. 



As the Sunrifes, there arifes with him cool breezes of wind , and 

 the higher and hotter the Sun fhines,the ftronger and cooler the breezes 

 are, and blow alwaycs from the Nore Eaft, and by Eaft, e^fcept in the 

 time of the turnado : And then it fometimes chops about into the 

 South, for an hour or two, and then returns again tothe{ame point 

 where it was. The other four months it is notfo hot, but is near the 

 temper oftheairin England^ in the middle of ^^j/, and thdugh in the 

 hot feafons wefweat much, yet we do not find that faintnefs, that we 

 find here, in the end of ;/«//, or beginning of Auguft. With this great 

 heat,therc is fuch a moifture,as muft of neceffity caufe the air to be very 

 unwholfome. 



We are feldom dry orthirfty, unlefs we overheat our bodies with 

 extraordinary labour , or drinking ftrong drinks , as of our EngliJIj 

 fpirits, which we carry over, of Fre«r^ Brandy , or the drink of 

 thelfland, which is made of the skimmings of the Coppers, that boyl 

 the Sugar, which they call kill-Devih And though fome of thefe be 

 needful ifthey be ufed with temper, yet the immoderate ufe of them, 

 over-heats the body, which caufes Coftivenefs , and Tortious in the 

 bowels 5 which is a difeafevery frequent there 5 and hardly curd, and 

 of which many have dyed, but certainly ftrong drinks are very re- 

 quifite, where fo much heat is 5 for the fpirits being exhaufted with 

 much fweating, the inner parts are left cold and faint ^ and Qiall need 

 comforting, and reviving. Befides, our bodies having been ufed to 

 colder Climates , find a debility, and a great failing in the vigour, 

 andfprightlinefswe have in colder Climates 3 our blood too, is thin- 

 ner and paler than in our own Countreys. Nor is the meat fb well 

 relifh'dasin£«g/W5 but flat and infipid, the hogs flefh onely ex- 

 cepted, which is indeed the beft of that kindf that I think is in the 

 world. 



Our Horfesand Cattle feldom drink, and when they do, it is in very 

 fmall quantities 5 except fuch as have their bodies over heated with 

 working. 



This moifture of the air, caufes all our Knives, Etweefe, Keys, 

 Needles, Swords, and Ammunition, to ruft 5 and that in an inftant for 

 take your knife to the grindftone, and grind away all the ruft 5 

 which done, wipe it dry, and put it up into your fheath, and fo into 

 your pocket, and in a very little time, draw it out 3 and you (hall find 

 it beginning to ruft all over, which in more time, will eat deep into 

 the fteel, and fpoil the blade. Our locks too , that are not often 

 made ufe of, will ruft in the wards, and fd become ufelefs, dnd Clocks, 

 and Watches willfeldome or never go true:^ and all this occafion'd 

 by the moiftnefsof the Air. And this we found at fea i for before 

 we came near this lOand, we perceivd a kind of weather , which is 

 neither rain nor mift, and continued with us fbmetimcs four or five 

 day cs together, which the Seamen call a Heyfey weather , andrifesto 

 fuch a height, as though the Sun fhineout bright , yet we eannot fee 

 his body, till nine a clock in the morning, nor after three in the after- 

 noon. And we fee the sky over our heads clear : a clofe and very 

 unhealthful weathei', and no pleafureat all in it* 



H 2 This 



Tempera- 

 ture of the 



air, 



< 



