more mildness at the change of weather; the northwinds do not come so frequently, also they tend to be free of their unpleasant severity and do not last 2 or 3 days as they do in winter, rather often a few hours or 1 to 1 1/2 days. The thunderstorms become more frequent than in winter, still they are not accompanied by such severe and long lasting rain. Of course it rains, too, but only gently and soon blows over. At the end of March the northwinds cease completely and summer comes in with enduring, great heat. The rains become more and more infrequent until at the middle or the end of the month of April cease completely, and in their place such a heavy dew falls every night that not only are the plants refreshed but also travelers are completely wet to the skin. During the summer months, until the middle or end of October, one must not undertake strenuous work in the open air during the day from 10 o'clock in the morning until 4 o’clock in the afternoon, because of the severe heat of the sun, if one does not want; to undermine one’s health or even forfeit one's life. But one does not find that necessary here, for whoever pursues his work with earnestness and zeal in the morning and evening hours in this especially fertile land can endure very well. During the intense heat from 10 o'clock in the morning until 4 o'clock in the afternoon he can rest and recuperate in the shade.

The many swamps and sloughs, which are found. in great quantity on the immeasurable prairies up to 20 miles inland from the coast, when they dry up at the beginning of the summer, generate many damaging vapors which create many serious illnesses, such as malaria, nervous fever, and other fever diseases, yes, even yellow fever often turns up which people are struck by and often killed very quickly. Therefore one must protect oneself here from heating up and then from a quick chill. Also one must not expose oneself to the sun’s rays with a bare head during the summer, because otherwise one can quickly forfeit his life by sunstroke, equally, one must not expose one’s face to the bright moonlight while sleeping in the open at night, because one would get a bloated, distorted face from it. In the interior of the land, where there