I think that much of the Mortality (not all) that happens among Strangers, is the Effect of their ill Diet, and ill Government of themselves; for they eat but little, having neither Stomach nor Mony to buy what they want; but they drink excessively, being for that more readily trusted, and of Liquors very hot and Spirituous; and if any chuse the cold rather, his Stomach is chil'd, and he is in danger of a Flux or an extream Looseness, and that immediately. There is another thing, Men guard themselves less from the Air than in any other Places trusting to the Heat of the Climate, and receive the cool of the Evening with only a Shirt. Now I think that the Air, tho' not so cold, is much more subtle and piercing here, than in our Country, it corrodes Iron much more, not by the Moisture, for it is not so moist, and besides it does it in the dry Weather too. Perhaps there are some other Effects to evidence the same thing; besides that, the Diet which most Men procure, is not extraordinary, and the passing by Canoes from one Place to another has a Danger in it beside that of the Sea. * * * * * _Cape Corse, Apr. 25. 1688._ I Promised in my last to give you an Account of the Weather at _Cape Corse_ for the last Year, which Account I have inclosed in this; it is as exact as I could give; 'tis a thing which has been very little observed, whether it deserves to be more, I do not know. That Year has had the most Rain of any that can be here remember'd; yet the Mortality was much less than the Years before; so that perhaps Wet is not that which makes the Country unhealthy; though we had very many Sick, especially in _June_ and _July_, whose Diseases were not Mortal.