the South-Sea. Zl 



I fancy I difcern abetter Reafon, grounded oh the dif- 

 ferent Degrees of Heat on the Coaft, and in the Inland. It 

 is known by Experience, that the Heat the Sun imparts to 

 the Earth , diflblves into Rain, and attra&s the Clouds the 

 more, by how much it is more violently heated. I will 

 explain how that Attra&ion is made : It is obferv'd in 

 France, that it rains as much, that is, that there falls as 

 much Water, and even more, during the Months of July 

 and Auguft, as during the other Months of the Year, tho* 

 it rains but very feldom, becaufe the Drops of Water are 

 then much larger than in Winter. This Obfervation is 

 fupported by the great Store of Rain that falls in the Torrid: 

 Zone, during fome Months in the Year, after the Earth 

 has been heated by the lefs oblique Rays. Now, it is knownfe 

 that the inner Part of Peru, which is almoft all of it in 

 that Zone, is very hot in the Valleys, which receive du- 

 ring the whole Day almoft perpendicular Rays, whofe 

 Force is ftill increas'd by the many dry Rocks which en- 

 compafs them, and reflect thofe Rays every way ; and 

 laftly, that the faid Heat is not temper' d by the Winds. It 

 is farther known, that the high Mountains call'd La Cor- 

 dillera and Los Andes, which are almoft continually co- 

 ver'd with Snow, make the Country extremely cold in 

 fome Places, fo that in' a very fmall Diftance the two con- 

 trary Extremes are to be found. 



The Sun therefore, by his Prefence, caufes a violent Di- 

 latation and a fcorching Heat in the Valleys, during the 

 Day, that is, one half of the Time $ and during the Night 3 

 or the other Half, the neighbouring Snows fuddenly cool 

 the Air,which condenfes a new. To this Viciffitude of Con- 

 denfation and Rarefaction is certainly to be affign'd, as to the 

 firft Principle, the Inequality of Weather that is obferv'd at 

 Cufco, at Puna, La Paz, and other Places, where they al- 

 moft daily are fenfible of the Changeablenefs of theWeather, 

 of Thunder, Rain, Lightning ; of Fair and Cloudy Weather, 

 of Heat and Cold s but in other Places it is hot for a long 



Time. 



