96 A V O Y A G E T O Book IL 



the forefts of the mountains, and which are never 

 louder than when a man of war fires the morning and 

 evening gun, though they are fo much ufed to it. 



This continual inclemency, added to the fatigue of 

 the feamen in unloading the fhips, carrying the goods 

 on fhore in barges, and afterwards drawing them along 

 on fledges, caufes a very profufe tranfpiration, and con- 

 fequently renders them weak and faint ; and they, in 

 order to recruit their fpirits, have recourfe to brandy, 

 of which there is, on tliefe occafions, an incredible con- 

 fumption. The excefiive labour, immoderate drink- 

 ing, and the inclemency and unhealthfulnefs of the 

 climate, mud jointly deRroy the befl: conftitutions, and 

 produce thofe deleterious difeafes fo common in this 

 country. They may well be termed deleterious *, for 

 the fymptoms of all are fatal, the patients being too 

 much attenuated to make any effectual refiftance ; and 

 hence epidemics and mortal diftempers are fo very 

 common. 



But it is not the feamen alone who are fubjecfc to 

 thefe difeafes ; others, who are ftrangers to the feas, and 

 not concerned in the fatigues, are alfo attacked by 

 them ; and, confequently, is a fufficient demonftration 

 that the other two are only collateral, though they tend 

 . both to fpread and inflame the dillemper ; it being 

 evident, that when the fluids are difpofed to receive 

 the feeds of the diilemper, its progrefs is more rapid, 

 and its attacks more violent. On feme occafions, 

 phyficians have been fent for from. Carthagena, as be- 

 ing fuppofed to be better acquainted with the pro- 

 perefl: methods of curing the diftempers of this coun- 

 try, and confequently more able to recover the fea- 

 men ; but experience has fhev^^n, that this intention 

 has been fo little anfwered, that the galleons or other 

 European fliips, which iiay any time here, feldom leave 

 it, without burying half, or, at leaft, one third of their 

 rnen j and hence this city has, with too much reafon, 

 been termed the grave of the Spaniards j but it may-. 



