490 
or the difeafes of mankind, is generally ac- 
knowledged. At Malta the qualities of 
the air vary according as the wind proceeds 
from different points of the compals ; ; and 
as it frequently changes feveral times a- 
day, an almoft cont inval variation of tem- 
perature js thus produced. The north- 
winds are always cold, and thole from the 
fouth warm ; it is fomewhat fingular that 
when the north or nerth-weft winds pre- 
vail during the day, their force is dimin- 
ifhed during night, whilft on the contrary, 
the fouth wind becomes fer fibly increafed 
at that period. The winds from the north- 
weft are colder and more pure, becaule 
they blow over a Jarger extent of fea, than 
thofe from the weft which touch a little on 
the African coaft. The north-wind is 
fuificiently pure from traverfing Italy and 
Sicily, where vegetation is abundant, as well 
as that from the north-eaf and eatft, 
which blows over a cunfiderable {pace of 
fea. The fouth and fouth-eaft winds are 
the moft unwholefome, and the 
pure, as poi pals over the continent of 
Africa; and the ftrait, which feparates 
this burning and arid country from Mal- 
ta, is not fufficiently broad to produce on 
them any amelioration in their courfe. 
The tour feafons are regular, and well 
defined. The {pring is delightful and ac- 
companied with a fweet and temperate 
air; the range of the thermometer 1s from 
the twelfth to the fifteenth degree. In the 
month of March, the fky becomes clear 
and ferene, the clouds are diffipated, and 
there is feldom any fall of rain; during 
the greateft part of this feafon the wind 
remains in the north, but it begins to 
abate and veers occafionally towards the 
eaft; the fea becomes) calm, the nights 
are extremely cool and pleafant ; there 
are during this feafon fome land and fea 
breezes, as well as in funmer and autumn. 
In June the heat is confiderable, and 
continues to increafe duiing the whole 
fummer; the range of the thermometer is 
from 15° to 25°; fometimes it even af- 
cends to 2&9, but never rifes above it. 
- The winds are almoft imperceptible, and 
for the moft part in the eatt; the fea is 
‘then calm, and there is not, I believe, a 
country under heaven more delightful than 
this, nor where the ftars appear with 
greater lufire, throughout the whole of this 
feafon; indeed, the atmofphere remains 
unclouded, both day and night. 
In ee the fky begins to be ob- 
feured by clouds; towards ihe evening the 
atmo!phere is .charged with, ele&tricity, 
which produces frequent lightning, often 
attended with violent peals of thunder, 
Deferaption of the Ifland and City of Malia. 
leatt- 
\ 
[ Jan. 1, 
and fometimes even flight fhocks of an 
earthquake are felt. The fouth and fouth- 
eaft winds, which prevail during this pe- 
riod, donot blow with much violence, but 
they are fo loaded with humidity, and fo 
hot as to render the climate almoft infup-— 
portable, and neariy deftruftive of the 
ian and phyfical facuities of man. Its 
hurtful influence is experienced! in chemi. 
cal operations, and in almoft every me- 
chanical art. Phyficians likewife obferve 
the great changes produced by it upon the 
fick, a faét which I mylelf have frequently 
witneffed. Happily thefe winds, which 
the Italians name fcirocs, continue only 
three or four days, and are fucceeded by 
that from the eaft, which diffufes a de- 
gree of frefhnefs over all nature. The 
following faéts were afcertained by the 
learned Dolomieu, who likewife carefully 
analyftd the air of Malta, from which he 
found, that in no country does it undergo 
more fudden changes, even in regard to 
its purity. 
From December unti! March the fky 
is covered with clouds, and the rains are 
very abundant. The thermometer dur- 
ing this featon fluétuates between the 7? 
and 10° above the freezing point; it rare- 
ly defcends lower, and never reaches zero. 
The fea is in a conftant ftate of agitation 5 
the winds are cool and blow from the 
north, north-weft, weft, or north-eaft, 
with great Vialence) 
Although the thermometer during this 
feafon never defcends below the 7° above 
zero, nor rifes above the 28° during fum- 
mer ; the cold of winter is neverthelefs ex- 
tremely fenfible; and the fummer-heat ex- 
ceffive arid unfupportable. What is the 
caufe of this difference between the real 
and the fenfible heat and cold of this cli- 
mate ? Deolomieu found that it was attri- 
butable to the purity cf the north, and 
the impurity of the fouth, or rather the 
fouth -eait winds :befides, the rapid tranfi- 
tion fiom heat to cold renders the -body 
‘more fufceprtible of their influence. 
The heat of Malta as rendered more 
confiderable from its concentration, and 
the want of evaporation. Befides, in the 
country there is nothing but, heaps of 
fiones which retain the heat, and which 
being cf a white colour, very powerfully 
reflect both the heat and light; indeed if 
the temperature of this ifland was not mo~ 
derated by the fea breezes, it would be al- 
moft infupportatle. 
are fome defiles.that afford a fheiter from 
the exceflive heat of the north winds. 
Water peflefies not lefs influence than 
air” 
It is much warmer 
“in the country than at Malta, where there 
Ne ae 
