Page 322

An. 1686

The Winds and Weather.

Thefe Winds bring fair weather. The Wefterly Winds begin to blow in May, but are not fettled till a month afterwards. The Weft Winds always bring Rain, Tornadoes, and very tempeftuous Weather. At the firft coming in of thefe Winds they blow but faintly; but then the Tornadoes rife one in a day, fometimes two. Thefe are Thunder-fhowers which commonly come againft the Wind, bringing with them a contrary Wind to what did blow before. After the Tornadoes are over, the Wind fhifts about again, and the Sky be- comes clear, yet then in the Valleys and the fides of the Mountains, there rifeth a thick fog, which covers the Land. The Tornadoes continue thus for a week or more; then they come thicker, 2 or 3 in a day, bringing violent gufts of Wind, and terrible claps of Thunder. At laft they come fo faft, that the Wind remains in the quarter from whence thefe Tornadoes do rife, which is out of the Weft, and there it fettles till October or Novem- ber. When thefe Weftward Winds are thus fettled, the Sky is all in mourning, being covered with black Clouds; pouring down exceffive Rains, fometimes mixt with Thunder and Lightning, that nothing can be more difmal. The Winds raging to that degree, that the biggeft Trees are torn up by the Roots, and the Rivers fwell and overflow their Banks, and drown the low Land, carrying great Trees into the Sea. Thus it continues fome- times a week together, before the Sun or Stars appear. The fierceft of this weather is in the latter end of July and in Auguft, for then the Towns feem to ftand in a great Pond, and they go from one houfe to another in Canoas. At this time the Water carries away all the filth and naftinefs from under their Houfes. Whilft this tempeftuous feafon lafts, the weather is cold and chilly. In September the wea- ther is more moderate, and the Winds are not fo fierce,