The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation — Volume 12: America, Part IHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation — Volume 12: America, Part I
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
that which now is called Europa, wherein wee dwell, and Africa remained for
Cham and his blacke sonne [Sidenote: Africa was called Chamesis.] Chus, and
was called Chamesis after the fathers name, being perhaps a cursed, dry,
sandy, and vnfruitfull ground, fit for such a generation to inhabite in.
Thus you see, that the cause of the Ethiopians blacknesse is the curse and
naturall infection of blood, and not the distemperature of the Climate;
Which also may bee prooued by this example, that these blacke men are found
in all parts of Africa, as well without the Tropickes, as within, euen vnto
Capo de buona Speranza Southward, where, by reason of the Sphere, should be
the same temperature that is in Sicilia, Morea and Candie, where al be of
very good complexions. Wherefore I conclude, that the blacknesse proceedeth
not of the hotenesse of the Clime, but as I saide, of the infection of
blood, and therefore this their argument gathered of the Africans
blacknesse is not able to destroy the temperature of the middle Zone. Wee
may therefore very well bee assertained, that vnder the Equinoctiall is the
most pleasant and delectable place of the worlde to dwell in; where
although the Sunne for two houres in a yeere be direct ouer their heades,
and therefore the heate at that time somewhat of force, yet [Sidenote:
Greatest temperature vnder the Equinoctial] because it commeth so seldome,
and continueth so small a time, when it commeth, it is not to bee wayed,
but rather the moderate heate of other times in all the yeere to be
remembred. And if the heate at any time should in the short day waxe
somewhat vrgent, the coldnesse of the long night there would easily refresh
it, according as Henterus sayeth, speaking of the temperature vnder the
Equinoctiall.
Quodque die solis violento incanduit æstu,
Humida nox reficit, paribusque refrigerat horis.
If the heate of the Sunne in the day time doe burne or parch any thing, the
moysture of the night doeth coole and refresh the same againe, the Sunne
being as long absent in the night, as it was present in the day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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