21 6 A Voyage to 



Time, without any Interruption, and then the Rains take 

 their Turn. 



It is not fo along the Coaft, where the S. W. and S. S.W. 

 Winds blow regularly, which coming from the cold Cli- 

 mates of the South Pole, continually refrelli the Air, and 

 conftantly keep it almoft in the fame Degree of Conden- 

 sation. Much more muft they bring thither Salt Particles, 

 which they gather from the Sea Fogs, wherewith the Air 

 muft be fill'd and thicken 1 d much, as we conceive Brine is 

 by the Salt it contains. That Air therefore has more 

 Strength to fupport the Clouds, and is not hot enough, 

 nor in fufficient Motion to agitate the Particles, and confe- 

 quently to gather the little Drops of Water, and form fome 

 greater than the Bulk of the Air to which they anfwer ; and 

 tho' thofe Clouds draw very near the Earth during the 

 Seafon when they are leaft attracted by the Sun, yet they 

 do not diffolve into Rain thus at Lima the Weather is 

 almoft continually clofe, and it never rains. 



If it were now requilire to ftiew why the hotteft Coun- 

 tries attraft the Rain, I could make ufe of the Conjectures 

 * Regis. of fome modern Philofophers, * who are of Opinion, that 

 the Clouds are frozen Vapours, or a Sort of very loofe 

 Ice, like Snow. According to that Notion, it is evi- 

 dent, that when the Heat of the Earth fufficiently heats the 

 Air, to rife to the Height of the Clouds, they muft then 

 thaw and fall in Rain but that way of Reafoning, which 

 I often think very true, is not fo always, as 1 can affirm 

 upon my own Experience, having been upon high Moun- 

 tains, where at the fame time that I faw Clouds flying both 

 above and below me, I was myfelf encompafsM with others 

 between them, which inTruth I thought very cold, but in 

 other refpeds to differ in nothing from the Fogs we fee fweep 

 along the Earth. It is therefore upon no folid Ground that 

 they diftinguifli thofe Clouds from the Fogs. 



Be that as it will!, Heat may alfo attraft Rain, by giving 

 die P. rtl:les of the Air a Spiral Motion, which may gather 

 many little Drops of Water into one larger Drop. This 



Motioft 



