'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎388] (411/448)

^ 88 The Suns Exce
In thofe Troglodit Regions the Earth for the moft part being faplefs and without iprin^s
which makes^both earth and air fcorching and infufferable: For 'tis rain and fprings that by
moiftning the luperficies of the Earth produces Grafs and all other forts of Vegetables.
And it is a truth alfo that, fer motnm [oils fit generalio & corruptio in rebus inferionbm ^ &
opus ejus plw apparet in hoc Aimdo quam opm aliarmn planet arum. The Sun in his operations
excells all the other Planetsand by his influence upon inferiors, both generates and cor
rupts, as common experience teaches. Albeit it is faid of the Sun and Rain, that neither
of them pierces the Earth above ten foot for faith Seneca, when the Earth hath imbib'd
what is fufficient, it fhuts its pores, thereby oppofmg an unneceifary furplus. Howbeit
Cardanus and fome others, allow the Rain to link ten paces deep, yea deeper fay fome'
thereby furnifhing fprings with Water, which have three original caufes: tranfmutatiou
of the air within the earth, percolation of the Sea, and Rain, Snow, Mills, &c. This
confiderationgavefubjed to a Poet for that Romance concerning the Pfilli their challeng
ing the South wind, and to another, how
That barren Land
during all feafons doth unalteredfland
Through Natures difreJfieB : for that burnt earth
ZJnto a few Jmall herbs only gives breath ^
Which to the cy£thiops is great carfe of mirth.
Withal let us obferve here as 1 have upon occafion fpoken in other places. That the heat
is more intenfe and violent under the Tropicks by realbn of the Solftice in June and Decem
ber than under the TEquinodial in March or September^ at which times the Sun only cuts
their Zenith : for under the iEquinodial I have been four feveral times and the like under
both the Tropicks, and foit was, whether per accidens or other wife I know not, but I
could perceive the heat was more extream under and near the Tropicks where the Sun for
fome ihort fpace of time feems to have its ftation: fo that both by what I then felt and
fince heard from others of experience, the heat is greater at Ormus in thegulph of Perfta,
Mocha in the red Sea,and at Berenice and near sy£gypt during the Summer Sollticp, than
• we find it in moft Afiatic regions under or near the Equinox, as thofe Merchants that are
converfant in Zeyloon, Sumatra, Borneo } t\ie Celebes and Molucca Ides, which are nadyr to the
iEquinodial, have related and by experience can belt witnefs. Now the Reafons may be
thefe : Firft, that through the like goodnefs of God the heat near the Trbpick is very
much allayed by thofe tempeftuous ftorms of wind and rain which during that feafon ufu-
ally rage in that Climat; not only for fix weeks obfcuring and confequently affwagingthe
beams of the Sun, but occafioning the overflowing of Nile and Niger with feveral other
Rivers inas zlfoot Ganges and Mehan or and others in India* infomuch as
they feem to have moft Winter during the Summer feafon,! mean when and where the Sun
is nigheft: for otherwife the heat under the Tropick both by reafon of the commorance
of the Sun for fome time, and that the dayes there are longer than under the Equator, in
reafon ftiould be greateft. Whence we may likewife note, That the Sun when it returns
to the vernal iEquinox, and for thofe following fix months comes into our Hemisphere af
ter he has made the Artie Pole his Horizon •, thofe Regions within the Polar circle
(which have the fame diftance the Tropicks have from the ^Equator) albeit more refem-
bliug night than day when the Sun is depreft and difappearing , yea by reafon of a con
tinued darknefs and extremity of cold are places by us not to be indured *, Neverthelefs by
this re-appearing of the Sun and its conftant refidence for half the year above the horizon,
the Earth receives plenary amends and becomes habitable, albeit the heat be moderate',
yea, produces fruits proper for warm Countries, and fuch as will not maturate with us in
England. Secondly, feveral other accidents I may note which contribute to the tem
perature of thofe torrid parts; forbefides the Monzoones or Anniverfary winds which
for fix months blow conftantly one way and fix the other, thefe hot Countries have fre
quent breezes which like the breath gently every morning and evening from the
Eaftand South, which qualifies the Earth and Air exceedingly: fo as during that breez,
the extremity of heat is very little perceived. Moreover, by the. interpofition of
the Earth, the Nights, efpecially near the Sun, are equal or longer than the Day,
during which the Moon that has power to govern the Night as the Sun the Day,abundantly
compenfates, and being commonly attended by mifts, dews, fogs, and vapours lenifies
the air and moderates the ardour of the Sun, as that Diftick of the Poet fpeaks very
properly,
Quodque