a Jingular African Wind. 55 
« in fome of thefe years, for they were not all equally fatal, 
“ was fo great that, as Dr. lxnd fays, the living were fcarce 
“ fufficient to remove and bury the dead.” 
It is to be obferved, that there may be inftances in which the 
Harmattan comes loaded with the effluvia of a putrid marfli ; 
and if there are any fuch fituations, the nature of the wind 
may be fo changed as to become even noxious. 
Another inquiry which I defired Mr. norris to make re- 
fpeCted the fource of the Harmattan, and the nature of the foil 
over which it blows. It appears that, except a few rivers and 
fome lakes, the country about and beyond Whydah is covered for 
four hundred miles back with verdure, open plains of grafs, 
clumps of trees, and fome woods of no confiderable extent. 
The furface is fandy, and below that a rich reddifh earth ; it 
rifes with a gentle afcent for one hundred and fifty miles from 
the fea before there is the appearance of an hill, without 
affording a ftone of the fize of a walnut. Beyond thefe hills 
there is no account of any great ranges of mountains. 
With refpeCl to the origin of this wind, Mr. norris fays, 
44 the Harmattan, according to Dr. lind, arifes from the con- 
44 flux of feveral rivers about Benin ; but when I was on a 
66 vifit to the King of Dahomey, one hundred and twenty 
44 miles North, or inland from the Fort at Whydah, I there 
44 felt the Harmattan blowing from the N.E. ft r on ger than I 
44 have at any other time, though Benin then bore from me 
44 S.E.” 
On this head Mr, norris makes the following conjecture : 
44 The interfeftron of three lines, viz. an eaft line drawn from 
44 Cape Verd, a north-eaft one from the centre of the Gold 
44 Coaft, and a north line from Cape Lopez, would, 1 think,. 
44 point out a probable fource of this extraordinary wind.” 
Three 
