THEPACIFICOCEAN. 291 



Weft, hazy with rain. The cHmate, as far as we had any '77?- 

 experience of ir, is infinitely milder than that on the Eafl: v— >,~— ; 

 coaft of America, under the fame parallel of latitude. The 

 mercury in the thermometer never, even in the night, fell 

 lower than 42°; and very often, in the day, it rofe to 60*. 

 No fuch thing as froft was perceived in any of the low 

 ground ; on the contrary, vegetation had made a confider- 

 able progrcfs ; for I met with grafs that was already above 

 a foot long. 



The trees which chiefly compofe the woods, are the Ca- 

 nadian pine, white cyprefs, cyprcjfin thyo'uks^ the wild pine, 

 with two or three other forts of pine" lefs common. The 

 two firft make up almoft two thirds of the whole ; and, at 

 a diftance, might be miftaken for the fame tree ; as they 

 both run up into pointed fpire-like tops; but they are eafily 

 diftinguiflied on coming nearer, from their colour ; the 

 cyprefs being of a much paler green, or iliade, than the 

 other. The trees, in general, grow with great vigour, and 

 are all of a large fize. 



There is but little variety of other vegetable producflions, 

 though, doubtlefs, feveral had not yet fprung up at the 

 early feafon when we vifited the place ; and many more 

 might be hid from the narrow fphere of our refearches. 

 About the rocks, and verge of the woods, we found ftraw- 

 berry-plants, fome ralberry, currant, and goofeberry buflies; 

 which were all in a moft flourifliing ftatc ; with a few fmall 

 black alder-trees. There are, likewife, a fpccies of fow- 

 thiftle; goofe-grafs ; fome crow's-foot, which has a very 

 fine crimfon flower ; and two forts of aiithcricuvi ; one with 

 a large orange flower, and the other with a blue one. We 

 alfo found, in thefe fituations, fome wild rofe-buflics, which 



P p 2 were 



