C a p. L The Caribby-Iflands, 



griprngsin the Stomack , have turn'd pale , yellowifli, and 

 fwell'd up, and in a fhorttime loft the lively vermilion Com- 

 plexions they had before. There are indeed others attribute 

 thefe effects to their feeding on Cajfava^ which is commonly 

 eaten in thefe Iflands inftead of bread, and may poffibly have 

 fome quality not confident with the natural constitution of the 

 Inhabitans of our Climates. There is the fame temperature in 

 the night time at Veru^ and in the Maldivas, And thole who 

 havetravell'd tojerufalem, and through all the hot Countries, 

 do affirm , That the greater the heats are in the day time, 

 fo much the colder are the nights , thereafon whereof 

 is, that the great Vapours rais'd by the Sun in the day time, be- 

 ing condens'd at night, and falling down in Dew, do extreamly 

 cool and refrefhthe Air. 



The iEquinox lafts in thefe Iflands neer one half of the year, 

 and all the reft of it the longeft days are fourteen hours, and 

 the fhorteft nights ten. And thus hath the Divine Wifdom 

 beftow'dof thofe Parts of the World which lye moft expos'd 

 to the fcorching beams of the Sun, long and cool nights, to re- 

 cover and reftore to vigour What the too neer approaches of 

 that Planet had dry'd up and almoft blaftcd in the day. 



Nor can the Year be here divided into four equal and diftihcl 

 parts, as we do in Europe: But the Rains, which are very fre- 

 quent there from April to November , and the great Droughts 

 wMch reign all the reft of the Year , make the only difference 

 which may be obferv'd between the Seafons. 



Now how thefe different Conftitutions and Temperatures of 

 the Air fhould be called, there is a great diverfity of Opinions. 

 Some confidering, that as in thefe Parts there is in a manner no 

 €repufculum or Twilight ( which is a certain competion of, or 

 fbmthing between night and day) fo neither is there any Spring 

 or Autumn to make a certain connexion between Summer and 

 a kind of Winter, which they'admit there. Others maintain 

 on the coi&rary, That there is no juft reafon that that part of 

 the Year which goes under the name of Winter, fhould be fo 

 called, in regard the Earth there is never cover'd with Froft or 

 Snow, which are the unwelcom attendants of Winter, but at 

 all times cloath'd with a delightful Verdure, and almoft in all 

 feafons crown'd with Flowers and Fruits, though in a different 

 fneafure 5 whence they conclude. That the Year may be diftin- 

 guifrYd into three different and equal parts, and thofe be called 

 Spring, Summer, Autumn ; though not fo eafily diftinguilhable 

 as haply they may be in feveral parts of the World. 



But the common expreffion of thofe people, who make up 

 the Colonies now planted in thefe Iflands , is not confiftent 

 with this diftinftion 3 for they take the feafon of the rains to 

 be Winter, and that of the droughts, which is fair^ clear, and 

 pleafant, to be Summer. Tis true, * Acofia quarrels at the ^Ub.z.c.^ 



B 2 Spaniards^ 



