e at the worst in August and September, accompanied by
tornadoes of the most terrific description. The rains continue during
November, and cease in the month of December, but the coast is said
to be seldom many days together without a tornado. During the other
months of the year, dry, hot weather is experienced, excepting about
May, when slight rains take place. These rains are looked upon as the
winter of the natives, and are considered by them equally as cold in
their effects, as our winters in England are by ourselves. They are
equally alive to the change of the seasons as in northern countries,
and prepare themselves against the cold weather during the rains,
comparatively with as much care, as we do against our winter's frost.

The chief peculiarity of this climate, which distinguishes it from
all others within the tropics, consists in the furious storms of wind
and rain, accompanied by the most terrific thunder and lightning it
is possible to imagine. These storms are known by the name of
tornadoes, and one would be almost inclined to think that the
ancient's belief of the torrid zone being of a fiery nature, and too
hot for mankind to live in, originated in the exaggerated reports of
them, which might have gradually found their way into the part of the
world then known, and from which they were not very far distant. The
Landers witnessed three of these tornadoes, but they were trifling in
their effects, compared with those which take place in the rainy
season. They are described as being most violent, but happily of
short duration; nothing can withstand the fury of the wind while they
last, but they give sufficient indications of their approach, to
enable the experienced mariner, who is ever on the watch for the
changes in the weather, to reduce his sail on the ship, and put her
head in that position, in which she is best able to withstand its
effects, by running before the wind. This awful period lasts
generally about a quarter of an hour, when the wind subsides rather
suddenly, while the rain falls incessantly; shortly afterwards, the
wind shifts round by the south to its old quarter, the west, until
another tornado comes to disturb it. There are several peculiarities
attending the tornadoes, which are rather remarkable. It has been
remarked by experienced navigators, that they are much influenced by
the different phases of the moon, that they generally commence with
the full or new moon, at which time they are