Most persons who read of "the rainy season" in the tropics, have probably an erroneous opinion of the duration of the showers. Residents in Cuba assure us that the expression is a misnomer as we understand it, at least, and that it is used only in contradistinction to the season of little or no rain, when vegetation is sustained by the dampness of the air. Our record, carefully kept by Mr. Monson, includes the number of showers for the six months, embracing from July 1 to December 23, with the assurance that these rains were of brief duration generally, commencing about noon, and followed by a bright sunshine nearly always: -

An uncommon drought then set in; such being rarely known, visitors to the island the past winter saw its vegetation to a disadvantage, beautiful as it was, and enjoyed less fruit in consequence, though we could judge of no diminution, except in the pine-apple. The sugar-cane was not so tall as usual, but this was compensated for by an increase of saccharine matter in what growth there was.

Judging from the above records, even the summers are not at all unbearable; persons not obliged to more about in the sun when at its warmest, might pass the summer here nearly as comfortably as in our own climate, and more so than in many of our principal cities. The health, too, is as uniformly good as in the States, the yellow fever rarely penetrating to the interior. Living always in the open air must conduce to healthy action; the drawback is probably found in the absence of changes, which impart a zest we perhaps undervalue at home.