[ 57i ] 
Montferrat, Antigua, Nevis, Radonde, and feve- 
ral other illands. 
The air at top is bleak and fharp, but I can’t fay I 
found the cold very intenfe. It is true many negroes 
have perihied there with cold ; but that is not to be 
wondered at, as thefe people are not inured to the 
feverity of the weather, and go naked ; they wear no 
clothes but a pair of drawers, and have nothing to 
eat. Sometimes they are catched in the rain, or 
expofed to damps and fogs ; or elfe when they are 
all in a fweat with fatigue and labour, and lie down 
to reft, the cold feizes them and chills their blood; 
and it is no wonder, if they perilh in this condition. 
Beftdes the fine profpedt you enjoy at the top of 
this mountain, you have the pleafure, as father 
Du Tertre obferves, of feeing the clouds gather be- 
low, and hearing the thunder rumble under your 
feet. We a&ually faw the clouds rife from the fea, 
and fpread over the land on the fide of the wind, 
fometimes palling where we flood, and fometimes 
lower. Thefe clouds are no other than damp fogs. 
The Brimftone-hill is feldom clear of thefe damps. 
As my thermometers and barometers were broke 
in going up, I could make no obfervations on the 
gravity and properties of the air. It was but in my 
fubfequent journies to this mountain, that I could in 
fome meafure gratify my curiofity in thefe particnlars. 
We had only time to examine the great cavern and 
the great cleft above it, and then withdrew to the 
habitation whence we came, being very weary ; for 
in coming down we were often obliged to Hide, fome- 
times fitting, fometimes lying on our backs, and hold- 
ing by the fern. We frequently tumbled into holes-, 
where 
