UNITED STATES. 273 
fail being struck with the very slight increase of summer heat ex- 
perienced in advancing eastward over 1044? of longitude, compared 
with the enormous diminution of the winter temperature, amounting, 
at the two extremes which separate London and Irkutsk, to 39 degrees, 
with a difference of only 0:45, or 3. of a degree of latitude, whilst the 
mean annual temperature has fallen from above 50 in western Europe, 
to a little below the point of congelation, on nearly the same parallel 
in eastern Siberia. We see that Brussels presents the most favourable 
combination of warm summers with mild winters of any town in the 
series, which is just what we should expect, since that city enjoys the 
advantage both of a maritime and inland climate, its main land position 
removing it from the depression of temperature in summer, consequent 
on too great a degree of insularity, and from a still lower temperature 
in winter, which it would be its lot to endure, were its distance from 
the coast more considerable. The same union of winters and summers 
of high mean temperature, seems to obtain in Belgium and Holland 
generally ; judging from such registers as I have had the means of con- 
sulting, and my former personal but very limited experience of the 
climate of both countries. A narrow sea, like that which washes the 
shores of Belgium, gets heated in summer to an approximation with 
the temperature of the land, and radiates heat far more slowly : it is 
not likely, therefore, to take it from the latter when both are at their 
maximum temperature; but no sooner does the earth begin to radiate 
into space more heat than it receives from the daily declining power of 
the sun, than the loss is made up in e measure from the stores of 
caloric accumulated in the adjacent o the warm vapours from 
which, condensing into mist o r clouds, ded the farther dispersion of 
that of St. Petersburgh, the difference at the latter season being no 
less than 8? 64' in favour of the Swedish capital, with an advantage of 
0? 72' over the Russian metropolis in summer. Stockholm enjoys, in 
fact, that modified insularity of climate, which insures to it, as to the 
cities of Holland, Belgium, and Italy, the highest possible temperature 
at all times of the year which the respective latitudes of these places 
will permit. On casting our eye over the table we find that Tambow 
* This applies also to Copenhagen, which has one of the most genial summer and 
winter climates of any of the northern capitals ; as Petersburgh has the very worst, 
VOL. I, 2 N 
