456 Natural History in foreign Countries : — 



ghany Mountains. — I am happy to be able to report that the 

 climate has agreed perfectly well with my whole family, and 

 we have run now nearly the entire circle of the seasons : not »•: 

 the slightest illness, not even a cold, has occurred, if Yv^t 

 remember rightly, to any one of us since our arrival. Our <«>^ 

 position here, near the base of the western slope of the ^ 

 Alleghany Mountain range, is one of the healthiest in the 

 United States. Tlie past season has been delightful in*-* 

 temperature, the thermometer averaging probably about '70?' ^i 

 in the day; and the nights have been cool and refreshing. 

 We possess here an advantage somewhat remarkable, but 

 which we prize highly. At about 9 or 10 o'clock everyr(jii 

 morning a refreshing breeze springs up, and <iontinues untit^q?^ 

 S or 4 o'clock' in the afternoon; and it is this, perhaps, which* ir 

 makes our situation so healthy, and enables us, without in-?t»<^ 

 convenience, to bear the warmest days of summer. Thesefsy^ 

 delightful breezes appear to proceed from the north or north** tJfi 

 west, and remind us of the sea breezes aipon the. never; Itooii 

 be forgotten shores of dear Old England'. '< -voilt ')iLirnffO')nr> 1 

 I am situated about 1350 ft. above the sea, ' arid abobtdc 

 800 to 1000 ft. below the main ridge of the Alleghanymi 

 Mountains. There is one depression, or gap, as it is called, * t 

 ten miles hence, which I have found, by levelling, to be onlyt 1 

 600 ft. above us, and which 600 ft. is distributed pretty gra^;?^^ 

 dually along the base of ten miles. Consequently, you will'^b 

 observe that it is possible to descend the Alleghanies west-'o 

 ward at a very small angle; not much more, indeed, than half at<^* 

 degree, which is not a very alarming inclination for a rail'^H** 

 road. The eastern descent is more rapid, perhaps 3° for\> 

 the first three miles, following the natural fall of the water-- d 

 courses. I cannot but consider that our climate is materially ft 

 influenced by our proximity to this vast mountain ridge^'w 

 which is 1200 miles in length. I find very little variation in /t 

 the barometer from 29 in. A fall always precedes wind from * a 

 the N. W. We never suffer much from the extreme heat of i 

 summer, nor are we materially colder in winter than is ob- 

 served in the cities on the Atlantic coast. One of my friends 

 here kept an accurate meteorological journal during many 

 years ; and I brought out with me two of Jones's best moun- 

 tain barometers, which I amuse myself by frequently referring 

 to. Our prevailing winds are from the north-west, which 

 winds certainly bring a vast quantity of rain. The present 

 summer has been more wet than has occurred in the memory 

 of man. Rain has fallen, on an average, every alternate day ; 

 yet the evaporation is so great that no great inconvenience 

 has arisen, except of late, when dry weather is needed for the 



