Mifcellanea Curiofa. 67 



bound to Virginia, count it their, heft Courfe to 

 get as fbon as they can to the Southwards, that 

 fb they- may be certain of a fair and frefh Gale 

 to run before it to the Weftwards ; and for the 

 fame Reafon thofe homewards bound from Ame- 

 rica, endeavour to gain the Latitude of thirty 

 Degrees, as foon as poffible, where they firft 

 find the Winds begin to be variable ; tbo' the 

 moll ordinary Winds in the Northern part of the 

 Atlantic^ Ocean come from between the South 

 and Weft. 



As to thofe furious Storms call'd Hurricanes^ 

 which are, as it were, peculiar to the Caribbee 

 Ifles ; and which fo dreadfully afflict them in 

 the Month of Auguft, or not much before or 

 after, they do not fo properly belong to this 

 place, both by Reafbn of their fmall continu- 

 ance and extent, as likewife becaufe they are 

 not Anniversary, feme Years having more than 

 one, and fbmetimes for feveral Years together 

 there being none at all. But their Violence is fo 

 unconceivable, and their other Phenomena fo 

 furprifing, that they merit well to be confider'd 

 apart. 



What is here (aid, is to be underftood of the 

 Sea Winds at fome diftance from the Land ; for 

 upon and near the Shoars, the Land and Sea 

 Breezes are almoft every where (enfible j and the 

 great Variety which happens in their Periods, 

 Force and Direction, from the fituation of the 

 Mountains, Vallies and Woods, and from the 

 various Texture of the Soil, more or lefs capa« 

 ble of retaining and reflecting Heat, and of ex<& 

 haling or condenfing Vapours, is fueh, that it 

 were an endlefs task, to endeavour to account 

 for them, 



F a th U 



