44 ° Mr. small’s Obfervations 
kept in citterns, or water drawn out of wells, from tw r enty 
to fixty or more feet in depth ; nor are there any marfhes 
near either town, or indeed in this part of the ifland. 
The cattle of St. Philip hands, or rather is cut out of 
the folid rock, on a promontory, two-thirds of which 
are walked by the fea, and is open to the fea winds 
from two-thirds of the compafs. As there is no tide 
there is no flimy fhore, which might fend forth putrid 
vapours at low-water ; and if there were a tide, our fhore 
is one continued rock, on which there is not any pu- 
trefcent fubttance. Indeed the rocks are fo free from 
filth, that after a ftrong* wind has raifed the fea-water, 
and carried it into cavities hollowed in the rock by ftorms, 
it drys there into pure white fait. 
During the hot weather in July, Auguft, and Septem- 
ber, our unhealthy feafon, the air is daily ventilated, 
either by general winds, which pafs freely over the iiland, 
or by lea-breezes. The air over the land being rarefied 
by the reflected rays of the Sun, and by being in contact 
with the heated earth, neceffarily makes room for the 
cooler and denfer air in contact with the cooler fea-water. 
Whence, in fuch a fituation, lhall we feek for the caui'es 
of tertianas , fo called here, and fo much dreaded during 
the hot months ? Two caufes feem to offer themfelves; 
one very obvious, the other rather more remote. The 
Southerly winds are much complained of here, as occa- 
lioning a general lalfitude, and as bringing with them 
noxious effluvia from Africa ; but whoever confiders the 
dittance 
