214 A Voyage to 



Indian a j id of dry Stones carry'd on and turn'd off very ingeni~ 

 ddts. o jfly along the Sides of Hills, with an infinite Number of 

 Windings; which fliews that thofe People, as unpoliili'd 

 as they were, very well underftood the Art of leveling. 

 As for what relates to the Hills along the Coaft, there 49? 

 Grafs to be found on them in fome Places, which are leaft 

 expos'd to the Heat of the Sun, becaufe the Clouds (loop 

 clown to their Tops in Winter, and futficiently moiften 

 them to furnifh the neceffary Juice for "Plants. 

 why it mver M fa fecond,Queftion, Zarate- in his Conqueft of 



•raws then. n . , , . 5 „ ?. r . Zr 1 , 



Peru, has endeavour d to give a Reaion tor the Perpetual 



Drought that is obferv'd on that Coaft : cc Thpfe, fays he, 



<c who have carefully examin'd the Thing, pretend that the 



<Q natural Caufe of that Effect is a South- Weft Wind which 



prevails thoughout the Year along that Coaft, and in the 



Plain, and which blows fo violently, that it carries a- 



way the Vapors which rife from the Earth, or from the 



Sea, before they can rife high enough in the Air to unite 



cc and form Drops of Water, which fall again in Rain. In 



€C fhort, adds he, it often happens, that looking from the 



" Tops of the High Mountains, thefe Vapours are feen 



<c much below thofe that are on thefaid Tops, and make 



* c the Air in the Plain look thick and cloudy, tho' it be 



" very clear and ferene on the Mountains. 



This way of Reafoning is nothing likely, for it is not 



true that the S. W. Winds obftruft the Rifing of the Vapors, 



fince there are Clouds agitated by that Wind feen at a very 



great Height. And tho' that fhoiild be granted, thofe 



Winds would not neverthelefs hinder thf e Vapors forming 



themfelves into Rain, fince Experience manifestly fliews us, 



in the Alps, that the low Clouds afford Rain, as well as the 



higheft ; the Sky often appears ferene on the Top of the 



Mountain, when it rains moft violently at the Foot thereof. 



So far from it, that they ought more naturally to yield it, 



becaufe being lower they are heavier, and consequently 



compofed of more bulky Drops of Rain than the higheft 



Clouds, 



I 



'CC 



