the Country is very hot for two-thirds, if not three-quarters of the Year. But in the wetteft Seafon there are fome fair Days, with only a Tornado or Thunder-fhower nowand-then. The coldest Time of the Year is after the Rains about Christmas, when the fair Weather approaches. The Soil of Terra-Firma Proper, or the Ifthmus of Darien, is good in the middle of the Province; but both the Shores of the North and South-Seas are generally either a dry, barren Sand, or drowned Land, that will scarce produce any kind of Grain. The Sea-coafts of this Province are commonly unhealthful; and the Mountains, which have Mines in them, produce fcarce any thing but Shrubs. 2. St. Martha produces almost all manner of Fruits and Plants, which grow in Old-Spain, They have alfo Mines of Gold and Copper in their Mountains, Emeralds, Sapphires, and many other precious Stones. The Sea-coafts are exceffive hot; but their Mountains cool, being covered with Snow, even in this warm Climate. 3. The Mountains in the Provinces of Venezuela and Caracos are exceeding high, and the Valleys very deep, efpecially in the Province of Caracos. The Tops of the Hills are barren; but the lower Part of them, and the Valleys between, have a rich Mould; fo that here is Plenty of Sugar, Tobacco, Corn, Cattle, and rich Pafture. Their Plantations of Cocoa-nuts are esteemed the beft in the Spanish Dominions in America: There are also feveral Gold Mines in this Province. 4. The Inland Part of Andalufia is mountainous, and covered with Woods, intermixed with Valleys and Meadows, that produce Corn and Pafturage; but it is not near fo fruitful as the Provinces of Venezuela and Caracos, or fo full of Towns and Inhabitants: This Country produces most of the fine Fruits which are found in Europe. 5. The Province of Guiana, or Caribiana, is subject to Inundations on the Seacoafts, they lying very low; the Air is exceffive hot, and unhealthful, efpecially in fuch Parts of the Country as are not cleared of the Woods. 6. New-Granada affords vaft Variety of Hills, and fruitful Valleys; and is efteemed as healthful as any Part of Terra-Firma: In this Province, it is faid, there are Gold Mines; but as this is an Inland Country, and feldom vifited by Foreigners, we have very imperfect Accounts of them. 7. The Province of Popayan has a Chain of barren Mountains, almoft impaffable, that runs through it from North to South; fome of which are Vulcanoes; and in one of them the Loadftone is found. Towards the Shores of the South-Sea the Land is low and flat; and, as it rains, near three X 3

quarters

Peru,

the Sea.

quarters of the Year, innumerable Rivers and Torrents fall from the Mountains into the South-Sea, in the Sands whereof is found a great Quantity of Gold Duft; and there are Mines of the fame precious Metal in the Mountains, which induces the Spaniards to refide in thofe Parts, how troublesome foever it may be living under or near the Equator, where the Heat and Rains are extremely unwholfome, as well as uncomfortable. The Face of Peru is very different, as it approaches near, or is diftant from, The Country is divided into three narrow Slips, viz. 1. The Lanos, which are fandy Plains that run along the Sea-coaft. 2. The Sierras, which are Hills beyond those Plains, intermixed with Valleys. 3. The Andes, or Cordeleros, ftill farther within the Land, which are steep, craggy Mountains, far furpaffing all the reft in Height. The Lands, which lie along the Coast, are about thirty Miles in Breadth; in fome Places more, in others lefs; the Sierras 75 Miles in Breadth; and the Andes fomething more than 75 Miles over. The Andes and Sierras run parallel to each other from North to South, for above three thousand Miles: Nor are the Lanos low Land, but an high bold Shore; and there is no landing on it, but at the Ports, or in fome particular Bays: However, thefe Plains may be called low in Comparison of the Sierras, and of the Andes, that far furpafs both, and are esteemed the highest Land in the known World. The Lanos are perfectly barren, except fome few Valleys, into which they turn small winding Streams, and that Part of the Coaft, which lies within three or four Degrees of the Equator, where they have very heavy Rains great Part of the Year. The Sierras are also very barren; but then there are very fruitful Valleys between them, which yield all manner of Grain and Fruits; and these being temperate between the Extremes of Heat and Cold, are beft inhabited; for the Lanos by the Sea are, for the most part, exceffive hot: The Andes, on the contrary, are cold, barren Mountains, the Snow lying upon them great Part of the Year. In what Place foever People pafs the Andes, for upwards of 1500 Miles together, they meet with ftrange Disorders, but more in fome Places than others; and thofe are more fenfible of the ill Effects, who afcend from the Sea, than those who afcend from the neighbouring Plains. Acosta paffed the Andes over one Mountain, called Pariacaca, and four other different Places; and always felt the like Disorder, but not fo violently as at Pariacaca; and the beft Remedy they found against it, was to ftop their Mouths, Nofes, and Ears,

Ears, as much as poffible, and to cover their Breafts; for the Air was fo fubtle and piercing, that it penetrated the Entrails, not only of Men, but Beafts, Horfes having been very much affected by it. And fuch is the Height of the Andes, that the Pyrenees and the Alps are but as ordinary Hills, in Comparison of them; from whence we conclude, that the Air here was too pure and subtle for Animals to breathe in, they requiring a groffer Medium; and this, Acofta fuppofed, ocationed that Disorder in the Stomach. The fame Writer informs us, that there are other mountainous, uninhabited Defarts in Peru, where a sudden Blast of Air fometimes ftrikes a Traveller dead in an Inftant. The Spaniards formerly paffed thefe Mountains in their Way to Chili; but now they either go by Seas or by the Side of these Mountains, to avoid the Danger, fo many having perifhed in going over them; and others, that have escaped with their Lives, have loft their Fingers and Toes, and have been lamed. The fame Gentleman afferts, that General Coftilla marching over it with an Army, great Part of his Men fuddenly fell down dead, and their Bodies remained there without Stench or Corruption. And fome English Seamen affure us, that they have feen fuch Numbers of Bodies of Men, Women, and Children, lying dead upon the Sands there, that a Man might have walked on them half a Mile: That the Bodies, to Appearance, feemed as if they had not been dead a Week; but when they were handled, they proved as dry and light as a Sponge, or a Piece of Cork. It is agreed on all Hands, that the Heat of the Sands, and the Drinefs of the Peruvian Air, preferved thefe Bodies from Putrefaction, whatever was the Caufe of their Deaths. As to the Weather in Peru, it is various, according to the Situation of the Land: The Lanos, or fandy Plains by the Sea-fide, never have a Drop of Rain upon them, but frequently thick Mifts rife there. On the Sierras, or Hills beyond, the Rains fall when the Sun is in the Southern Signs, as they do in other Countries that lie between the Equator and Tropic of Capricorn. And on the Andes, the vaftly high Mountains that are fituated fartheft from the Sea, it rains or fnows two-thirds of the Year, and is exceffive cold. is very ftrange, that the Plains on the Sea-fhore of Peru fhould have no Rains; because the Sea-coafts, in other Countries, are usually more fubject to Rain, and cloudy Weather, than either the Ocean at a great Distance from the Land, or the middle of any Continent. For Inftance, the Low-Countries, in Holland and Flanders, have more wet and cloudy Weather, than either the middle of Germany, or France; in

X 4

It

like

like manner, Seamen ufually find ferene and fettled Weather four or five hundred Miles from Land, especially between the Tropics; and judge themselves near Land, when they fee thick Clouds, which usually hang over it: They also observe, that Hurricanes are more frequent and violent near the Land, than they are an hundred Leagues out at Sea; though in that Part of the South-Sea, which bounds Peru on the Weft, they know not what Storms or Hurricanes mean. The Earthquakes, to which Peru is fubject, especially about the City of Lima, must neceffarily caft a Damp on all the Enjoyments of the prodigioufly-wealthy Merchants. Great Part of their Towns, Cities, and vaft Mountains, have been thrown down by these terrible Events; and the Rivers have been turned out of their Courses. In the Year 1687 the Sea ebbed fo far from the Shore, that there was no Water to be feen; and after the Sea had difappeared a confiderable Time, it returned in rolling Mountains of Water, and drowned both Men and Cattle for 150 Miles along the Coafts. The Ships, 150 Leagues at Sea to the Weftward of Lima, were fenfible of this terrible Shock, the Seamen thinking they had ftruck upon à Rock; but, after their Confternation was a little over, they caft the Lead, and founded, but could find no Ground'; though the Sea, which usually looks green, was then of a whitish Colour, and the Water they took up, mixed with Sand; which made them conclude, that the Shock was occafioned by an Earthquake; and, a little after, they were

Chili.

informed there had been a violent Earthquake at Lima at the fame time. The Face of Chili nearly resembles that of Peru; for all our Seamen agree, that the Coaft of Chili is an high, bold Shore; and that farther within the Land there arife other Hills, which the Spaniards call Sierras, and above them the Andes, the highest Mountains in the known World. Thefe Mountains are a Prodigy in Nature; the Afcent is fo prodigious, that a Traveller is three or four Days in arriving to the Top of them, and as many more in the Defcent only of the Mountains; for otherwife it is affirmed, that a Traveller begins to mount, even from the Sea-fide, because all the Way, which is about forty Leagues, is nothing but an exceeding fhelving Coaft; for which Reason their Rivers run with fuch Force, that their Streams are like Mill-ftreams, efpecially near their Sources. When Travellers afcend the highest Part of thefe Mountains, they feel an Air fo piercing and fubtle, that 'tis with much Difficulty they breathe; which obliges them to fetch their Breath

Breath quick and ftrong, and to open their Mouths wider than ordinary, applying to them likewife their Handkerchiefs, to condense their Breath, and break the extreme Coldness of the Air. Writers obferve, that those who pass the Andes in Peru, fuffer great Reachings and Vomitings; but those who travel over the Mountains of Chili, never are affected with those Disorders, but only the Difficulty of Breathing: So that in that Part of the Andes in Peru, which they call Pariacaca, there may be a Concurrence of other Caufes, and a particular Difpofition of the Climate, to which the Cause of the above Effects may be attributed, and not to the Height of the Mountains; for thefe in Chili are highest without Comparison. Travellers pafs over thefe Mountains, treading, as it were, upon Clouds ; when they afcend the higheft Parts, they can no longer fee the Earth for the Clouds below; but the Heavens are clear, and the Sun fhines out in its full Luftre. They obferve the Rain-bow (which in the Valleys they fee croffing the Heavens) extended under their Feet; nor is it lefs admirable, that, while they travel over these Hills, and fee at a Distance Tempests and Storms falling into the Valleys beneath, the Air is very ferene over their Heads. There are in this Chain of Mountains fixteen Vulcanoes, which, at several times, have broken out, and caused Effects very terrible and aftonishing to all the Country: Among thefe difmal Events, that which happened in the Year 1640 is very remarkable; for a Mountain burnt with fo much Force, that it was broken in two, and caft forth Pieces of Rocks all on Fire, with fo horrible a Noife, that it was heard many Leagues off, juft like the going off of Cannons, The Andes are fuppofed to be very rich in Mines; but the Indians endeavour to conceal them from all other Nations: For it seems, if any one among them discovers any thing of this kind, his Death is infallible: Befides, the Reafon for not feeking after thefe Mines is, the Natives have great Plenty of every thing neceffary for Life. The Difference which Travellers obferve in paffing the Andes, between each Side of the Mountain, the Eaft and Weft Parts, is fo great, that they seem two different Worlds; for, on the Top, the Traveller difcovers both Horizons; and, when he looks to the Eaft, all is covered with thick Vapours, which feem to hinder the Light, and fhadow all the Country; but, on the Weft, he obferves the Heavens fo bright, that it causes Pleasure and Joy to look on them; The Eaft-fide is full of a cloudy, thick Air, which ingenders Storms and Hail, with horrible Thunder and Lightnings; On the Weft is not a Cloud