PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 71 



and becomes fatal through the want of proper medical 

 assistance. They are happily free from the hooping 

 cough. 



This state of ill health does not extend to the unci- 

 vilized Indians ; and, notwithstanding the mortality in 

 the missions, the climate of California must be con- 

 sidered salubrious. Perouse, Vancouver, and Langs- 

 dorft' were of the same opinion ; and to judge of it by 

 the general health of the Spanish residents, and by 

 the benefit that our seamen derived from it during their 

 short stay, it would certainly appear not to be sur- 

 passed. The summer and early part of the autumn are 

 the least healthy parts of the year, in consequence 

 of continued fogs, which occur at these periods. 



It is, in all probability, in consequence of these 

 fogs during the warmest part of the year that the 

 coast of California has the reputation of being much 

 colder than that of Chili in corresponding parallels of 

 latitude. In the month of December the mean tem- 

 perature of San Francisco was 53" 2', the maximum 

 (56^^, and the minimum 46*^. We nevertheless saw 

 hoar frost upon the grass in the mornings, and in the 

 following year observed snow lie several hours upon 

 the ground. As the minimum of temperature was so 

 many degrees above the freezing point, the former 

 was in all probability occasioned by the radiation, 

 which is very great in that country. 



The winter of 1826 was said to be a very favour- 

 able season ; we could not judge from our own ex- 

 perience, therefore, of what weather was usual on the 

 coast at that period of the year. But there were very 

 few days during our visit in which a vessel might not 

 have approached the coast with safety. The strongest 

 and most prevalent winds were from the north-west ; 



