<€H AiN GES
OF THE
«•LOBE.
C H A P . IV.
Remarks on the Changes o f our Globs.
J n.JïûVA PERT ANIMUS MOJTAXAS D I’CE RE FOR MAS
^Co rpo ra. -. O v id .
' T J A V I N G briefly treated of tEe nature o f the land we met with
in the courfe o f our navigation, o f the waters, and the con-
ftitution and changes'of the atmofphere, we have Hill fome few remarks
to make on the changes our globe has undergone, both from
caufes which come on in the regular courfe of nature, and likewife.
from others which .are accidental.
S E C T . I.
R E G U L A R C H A N G E R
T H E conftant fuceelEon of fummer and winter, o f heat and
cold, is in the temperate zones, in general more flunking and
remarkable than in the torrid zone: but I may, perhaps, with equal
truth aflert, that the tropical ifles o f the South Sea, enjoy more eminently
than any others., an equal temperature and conftant mild weather,
by their happy fituation in a great ocean, where conftantly alternating
fea and land breeezes, mitigate the violence of a vertical fun.
New
New-Zeeland enjoys, according to the kind informations o f Capt.
Cook, more fettled and more diftindt feafons, changing the temperature
o f the air from warm to cold. This able.navigator certainly
could give the.beft account'of it, having paifed in the Endeavour,
about fix months, during their fummer, along the coafts o f N ew -
Zeeland. W e came afterwards* in March, to the fame ifle, and
remained till June ; and twice we were there .in Odtober, and in
November.; fo that, by this means, a very good judgment might
be formed of. the feafons o f this ifle. In its Southern parts we found
in March ftill mild weather, which continued partly in A p r i l; but
in May, the tempeftuous winds, conftant rain, with fleet, hail,
and'fnow, and very great ftorms of lightning and thunder, began
to fet in:; the .verdure every where faded, many trees .fired their
leaves, and the fnowy furttmits of hills, attended by a piercing
..cold, convinced us, that .the winter-feafon was begun.
In the month of June, in Queen Charlotte’s Sound, we found-
the climate milder than in Duflty-Bay; which, however, changed
confiderably during our three weeks ftay : but, when Capt. Cook
•was there in the Endeavour, in .1770, he found the fineft. warm,
and even hot weather, in the -fummer-feafon, and every thing vegetating
in the greateft luxuriance.
We, who had fpent our winter in the tropical ifl.es, and the
fpring in New-Zeeland, and felt theeftefts of a molt uncomfortable.
fum