66 



No. III. 



NOTICE ON THE CLIMATE 



Of the Western Coasts of South America and Mexi- 

 co^ and on its Effects on the Health of the Resi- 

 dents and of Strangers. Extracted from a MS. 

 Memoir on the Climate and Diseases of South 

 America^ 



By George Birnie^ Esq. R. N. 

 Surgeon of his Majesty's Ship Conway. 



It may be interesting to notice briefly and gene- 

 rally the diseases to which Europeans will be more 

 particularly liable on visiting the western coast of 

 America. For the sake of perspicuity, the coast 

 may be divided into three parts : — the first extend- 

 ing from Valdivia, in latitude 40° souths to Co- 

 quimbo, in latitude 30° south ; the second from Co- 

 quimbo to Payta, in latitude 5i° south; and the 

 third from Payta to the Gulf of California, which 

 lies in latitude 23° north. The first of these divi- 

 sions comprehends nearly the whole coast of Chili, 

 inhabited by the descendants of the Spaniards. 

 Chili lies between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes, 

 and has a mean breadth of about 120 miles. It is 



