feldom happen, and fcarce without the Ecnephia; Seneca calls Prefter a Whirlwind with Lightening.

THE Ecnephia is a ftrong and fudden Wind that breaks out from fome Cloud; which is frequent in the Ethiopic Sea, between Brafil and South Africa; efpecially at the Cape of Good-Hope, and on the other Side of Africa, at Terra de Natal, and at Guinea, under the Equator. The Portuguese call them Travados, the Latins Procella, but the Greek Word Ecnephia is beft: they are most frequent in certain Places, and in certain Months of the Year.

A little Cloud, and fometimes feveral of them black or blackifh, are plainly seen by Sailors to go together, and increase even in a clear Sky, before the Wind breaks out; and when they firft fee them, they fhould gather in their Sails, and prepare their Ship against the raging Wind that is at hand: but before the Portuguefe knew this Prognoftic of Wind they lost several Ships, being the first that had failed the Ethiopic Ocean. For when India was made known by Gamma, the King of Portugal fent a greater Fleet of Ships, of large Bottoms, to the Number of thirteen, under Caprali in the Year 1500; which was the firft Fleet fent to Brafil, with great Joy to the Portuguese.

WHEN they had waited there the Month of April, they failed in May towards the Cape of Good-Hope, with raging Storms; and tho' they faw the Signs thereof, yet they knew not the Tempeft that was to follow; which Maffeus thus defcribes.

THEY made a long Run of almost two hundred Leagues from Brazil towards the Cape (which is about one thousand German Miles) the • Ocean and Winds all the while raging. Having entered that Voyage in May, with more Bold• nefs than Succefs, a fiery Comet appeared continually to the tenth Day, with a fearful Afpect; and the Sea and Heavens often changing; the

black

black and foul Clouds having gathered together in the North into a round Form, and the • Wind feeming to come all against them as it were by Reflexion: the Sea being faint in deceitful Calms. The Sailors not knowing the Tempefts that used to rage there, fpread their Sails to gather the Wind; when on a fudden the Wind • broke out from the Clouds in the North on four Ships whofe Tackling was not in order to be handed, and overfet them in a Moment; and tho' the reft were looking on, yet not one of a great many could be faved from death, except a few that had Oars or broken Pieces of Sails thrown to them. The North Wind continuing, the Sea rose fometimes high as it • were to the Stars; and again fell low to the Bottom; the Sea looked black in the Day-time, and fiery in the Night, which Storm held them twenty Days.' So far Maffeus.

THE Cape of Good-Hope is difaftrous for fuch Storms from the Clouds.

NOT far from the Shore there is a high Mountain, broad on the Top like a Table, from which great Storms often proceed; and this prognofticates ftrangely. For when the Sky is clear, and the Sea fmooth, there is a little Cloud feen on the Top of the Hill, which appears at first no larger than a Hazel Nut, and then like a Walnut which the Dutch call the Ox-eye; and then covers the whole Plain above, and the Dutch compare it to a Table spread with all kinds of Meat on it then the Storms begin to blow from the Top of the Mountain with fuch Force that overwhelms all Ships that are not on their Guard, or have their Sails out; but Sailors are now more wary, and when they fee the Ox-eye, they run immediately from the Shore as much as they can, and gather in their Sails, and do what is proper to de

fend

SECT. VI. fend their Ships: nor does this Sign ever fail. The like Storm rages at Terra de Natal, having the Ox-eye there alfo; and by it feveral Ships have been loft; and likewife in the whole Tract between that and the Cape of Good-Hope. There is alfo in Dauphiné in France, not far from Vienne, a high Mountain, on whofe Top there is a Lake, from which all the Storms thereabouts arife; on the Top of it there is a little Cloud or Exhalation, which portends Thunder and Rain.

ON the Sea under the Equator, between America and Africa, and near the Equator; there are frequently fuch Storms; efpecially in thofe Months in which there are few or no conftant Winds blowing; and that almost thro' the whole Year, efpecially in April, May, and June, (in other Months 'tis more rare) and they are very remarkable on the Shores of Guinea. They break forth three or four times in a Day, and ceafe on a fudden, varying ordinarily every half Hour; but they are moft vehement at firft. They break out from the black and filthy Clouds that appear when the Sky is clear and the Sea calm, by which the Seamen know they are approaching. And with their help it is that Sailors get beyond the Equator; for other conftant Winds are often wanting, efpecially in thofe three Months, for they do not hinder the Ships failing except at the first breaking out.

BUT in that part of the Sea which is next the Kingdom of Loango, in Africa, the Storm is often in the Months of January, February, March, April, and in different Places of Africa at other times,

THUS likewife at a Promontory in Africa, called now Guardafu, not far from the Month of the RedSea, there rages in the Month of May every Year a North Wind, and the Ecnephias most vehemently..

FOR 'tis obfervable, that as fome Winds lefs forcible blow yearly; fo there are Storms and Tem

pefts

pefts anniversary in fome Places: and with fuch a Storm, not far from that Cape, did Sodreus, the Portuguefe Conful, perifh in the Year 1505; and tho' he was admonished by the Africans, yet he would not hearken to it.

BUT in the Entrance of the Arabian Gulph, and in Arabia, and Ethiopia, there is a peculiar and wonderful Storm happens. A thick black Cloud, mixed with fiery little Clouds (which are terrible to behold), brings Darkness in the Day, and on a fudden there breaks out a Storm, which is foon over; but it throws fuch a quantity of red Sand on the Land and Sea, that the Arabians fay it fometimes buries whole Companies of Merchants and Travellers, with their Camels, viz. the Caravans that pass there once or twice a Year, being gathered (out of all parts of Afia) in Syria, they arrive thence from Aleppo to Arabia, to the Number of fix thousand Men, who dare not travel by themselves, because of the Robberies by the Arabians, and other Dangers, as they do from India to China and Tartary: and from hence 'tis they fay the Arabian and Egyptian Mummy comes; their Bodies being dryed in the Sand with the Sun's Heat. This Storm comes from the North to which the Red-Sea is extended; and therefore 'tis likely, there being a great quantity of red Sand on that Shore, that 'tis carried up by the Wind, which caufes a red Colour to appear among the Clouds, and afterwards falls down.

AND 'tis alfo probable, that there is fuch a Storm of Sand in Libya, becaufe of the great Heaps of that Sand there; which the Antients knew when they wrote of the difficult accefs to the Temple of Jupiter Hammon in Libya: nor were they without the knowledge of the way how Mummy was made. In Guzarat, a Kingdom in India, Clouds of Sand, or a vast quantity of fmall Duft raifed by the Sun's Heat,

Heat, doth often opprefs Travellers; as is written by Twift a Dutchman, who lived long there.

AS to the Cause of these Storms, 'tis plain they come from the Clouds, and may be formed two ways. 1. If a Cloud falls down, by it's Weight it will move the Air under it, as a Sheet, or Sail, let fall; and hence 'tis the smaller the Cloud appears the Storm after it is the greater; for the Cloud, or Oxeye, is then high, and appears fmall, and falling down, moves the Air with greater force. 2. If fulphureous Spirits inclofed in the Cloud, break out on a fudden in one Place, other Parts being shut as the Wind breaks out of a Bottle, when the Liquor in it is heated; but the first Cause seems the

truer.

PROPOSITION XI.

Exhydrias is a Wind that breaks out of a Cloud with a great quantity of Water.

THIS differs but little from an Ecnephias; only the Cloud, from which it seems to break out, is now condensed to Water, and born up fo long by the Clouds about it, and perhaps forced together by the Winds, 'till at laft it falls down, and beats the Air below it, which caufes the Wind: but these are rare, and the Ecnepbias itself hath often Showers attending it, and therefore the Difference is only in Degree; except that the Exbydrias for the most part comes ftrait down.

PROPOSITION XII.

Typhon is a frong fwift Wind that blows from all Points, wandring about all quarters and generally comes from above.

THIS is frequent in the Oriental Sea, especially in the Sea at Siam, China, and Japan, and between Malacca and Japan. It breaks out violently almost from

the