482 Mr. schotte’s Journal of the 
and in the evening I had a high fever, which turned out 
to be a very fevere bilious one; but notwith handing this, 
it has, in my opinion, no fuch ill quality, and the above 
phenomenon may be attributed to the change it pro- 
duces on the air, and of confequence on the body ; it 
may therefore be confidered as the occafional caufe of a 
diforder to which the body was pre-difpofed long before. 
The dampnefs of the atmofphere during this feafon 
is fo great that it is more or lefs perceptible in every 
thing. Leather, wearing apparel, and books, grow 
mouldy. Polifhed metals grow rufty. Sea fait, fugar, 
and other faline fubftances, which were perfectly dry 
before, melt; and the meat of cattle killed in the even- 
ing is fpoiled the next morning, fo as not to be fit for 
ufe. 
Calms are very frequent and difagreeable on account 
of the mufquetoes and other infedts, which then quit 
their retreats from among the mangroves and marfhes, 
and fpread over the face of the country. 
The dry or healthy feafon begins commonly about 
the middle of October and lafts to the middle of July. It 
is called dry, becaufe then it hardly ever rains, or at lead: 
but very feldom; and healthy, in oppOfition to the fickly 
one: for though pleurifies and peripneumonies will 
happen in the months of December and January, and 
fluxes 
