Temperature of the ayre.
Eight months of the year, the weather is very hot, yet not so scalding, but that servants, both Christians, and slaves, labour and travell tenne hours in a day.
As the Sunne rises, there arises with him coole breezes of wind, and the higher and hotter the sunne shines, the stronger and cooler the breezes are, and blow alwaies from the Nore East, and by East, except in the time of the Turnado: And then it sometimes chops about into the South, for an hour or two, and then returnes againe to the same poynt where it was. The other foure months it is not so hot, but is neer the temper of the aire in England, in the middle of May, and though in the hot seasons we sweat much, yet we doe not finde that faintnesse, that we finde here, in the end of July, or beginning of August. With this great heat, there is such a moysture, as must of necessity cause the ayer to be very unwholsome.
We are seldome drye or thirsty, unlesse we overheat our bodyes with extraordinary labour, or drinking strong drinks; as of our English spirits, which we carry over, of french Brandy, or the drinke of the Iland, which is made of the skimmings of the Coppers, that boyle the Sugar, which they call kill-Divell. And though some of these be needfull if they be used with temper; yet the immoderate use of them, over-heats the body, which causes Costivenesse, and Tortions in the bowels; which is a disease very frequent there; and hardly cur’d, and of which many have dyed, but certainely, strong drinks are very requisit, where so much heat is; for the spirits being exhausted with much sweating, the inner parts are left cold and faint, and shall need comforting, and reviving. Besides, our bodyes having bin used to colder Clymates, finde a debility, and a great fayling in the vigour, and sprightliness we have in colder Climats; our blood too, is thinner and paler than in our own Countreys. Nor is the meat so well relisht as in England; but flat and insipid, the hogges flesh onely excepted, which is indeed the best of that kinde that I thinke is in the world.
Our Horses and Cattle seldome drinke, and when they do, it is in very small quantities; except such as have their bodies over heated with working.
This moysture of the ayre, causes all our knives, etweese, keyes, needles, swords, and ammunition, to rust; and that in an instant for take your knife to the grindstone, and grind away all the rust; which done, wipe it dry, and put it up into your sheath, and so into your pocket, and in a very little time, draw it out; and you shall find it beginning to rust all over; which in more time, will eate deep into the steele, and spoyle the blade. Our locks too, that are not often made use of, will rust in the wards, and so become uselesse and Clocks, and Watches will seldome or never go true; and all this occasion’d by the moystnesse of the Ayre. And this we found at sea: for before we came neere this Iland, we perceiv’d a kind of weather, which is neither raine nor mist, and continued with us sometimes four or five dayes together, which the seamen call a Heysey weather, and rises to such a height, as though the sunne shine out bright, yet we cannot see his body, till nine a clock in the morning, nor after three in the afternoone. And we see the skie over our heads cleare: a close and very unhealthfull weather, and no pleasure at all in it.
This great heat and moysture together, is certainely the occasion that the trees and plants grow to such vast height, and largenesse as they are.
How watered.