Ch.VI. south AMERICA. 69 



writers fliould afiert that they arc confined between 

 the S. and S. W. as this is abfoiuteiy faife. There 

 are indeed intervals when thefe winds are fcarce felt, 

 and an air, tho' extreamly ihiall, feems to come from 

 the north, and which forms the fog. ^2. In winter 

 the S. wind blovv^s harder than in fummer, efpecially 

 near the furface of the earth. 3. Tho' no formal rain 

 is ever known in the country of Yalles, there are 

 wetting fogs called Garuas, which continue the 

 greateil part of the winter ; but are never feen in 

 lummer. 4. When the Garuas fall, it is obferved 

 that the clouds, mift, or vapours, which rife from 

 the earth, remain aimoil contiguous to its furface ; 

 and the fame fog which is converted into a Garua, 

 begins by a moift air, till the humidity gradually 

 increafing to its greatefh condenfation, the fmall 

 drops which fall, are eafily diftinguilhable. This is 

 fo natural, that it is known in all other countries fub- 

 je6l: to any degree of cold, and, confcquently, not 

 to be wondered at in this. 



I GIVE the name of cloud, mift, or vapours, to 

 that which produces the Garua or fmall rain; for 

 though there may be fome accidental diftindiions be- 

 tween thefe three kinds, they are not fuch as caufe 

 any material difference : the fog being only the va- 

 pour condenfed more than when it firft' rofe •, and the 

 cloud only a fog elevated to a greater height, and 

 ftill more condenfed than the former : fo that in re- 

 ality they may all be confidered as one and the fame 

 thing, differing only in degrees of denfity, and 

 therefore it is of little importance whatever name it 

 ~ is called by. 



5, The rays of the fun during the fummer, caufe 

 a prodigious heat all over Valles, and the more 

 fo as they are received upon a fandy foil, whence 

 they are ftrongly reverberated, the winds being at 

 the fame time very weak. Hence it appears, that 

 the lecond hypothefis above related, is not founded 



F 3 on 



