The Spaniards know this Place well, and have a yearly Trade thither for the aforesaid Commodities, and amongst the Islands are Wracks of divers of their Ships.
CHAP. XVIII.
The Caribby Islands.
Situation and Names of the Caribbee Islands.
The Caribbee Islands, as they are generally call’d, are a Row or Ridge, as it were, of lesser Islands, which extend themselves almost in fashion of a Bowe, from the Coast of Paria as far as St. John de Porto Rico; they are otherwise call’d The-Caraibes, sometimes The Camercanes, and by some The Islands of Cannibals, or Man-eaters, (though this Appellation cannot in reality be more appropriated to these Islands, than to many other, either Islands, or Parts of the Continent of America;) lastly, whereas all the Islands between Florida and New Spain, and Southern America, are by some comprehended all under the Name of The Antilles; yet the Caribbees and the Antilles are most generally, and, we conceive, most properly accounted the same; and they are so call’d, either as lying like a Bar before the greater Islands, or Quasi Ant-Isles, i. e. Opposites Isles; they lie all under the Torrid Zone, between the eleventh and nineteenth Degrees of Northern Latitude, and are twenty eight in number; but before we come to treat of each of them in particular, we shall take notice of the most observable of those things which are common to them all in general.
Temperature of the Air.
The Air of all these Islands is of a good temperature and healthy, and the Heat not so excessive in them at any time of the year, as might be conjectur’d from their Situation under the Torrid Zone, by reason of a gentle East Wind, which rising in the Morning, continues most commonly till towards the Evening, allaying the scorching heat of the Sun, and refreshing the Air; but the Nights are commonly very cold; and it is observable, that by how much the hotter any Day hath been, so much the colder the Night following happens to be; whereof this reason is given, That the Vapors rais’d in the Day-time by the Sun, and falling down condens’d at Night, do very much cool the Air; but it is never so cold as to Freeze.
For half a year together Day and Night are equal in these Parts, and the rest of the Year the Day fourteen hours long, and the Night ten.
From April to December there commonly fall here great Rains, and all that Season is accounted Winter, and the Drought and Heat of the other Moneths is taken for Summer; but the Woods of these Parts looking ever green, make as it were continual Summer.
Nature of the Soil.