CLIMATE. 17 



them, or as 85 or 90 days of rain with us to 122 days with 

 them ; the rain with us descending in profuse showers, 

 and often in torrents, with tremendous lightning and thun- 

 der ; while, on the other hand, the number of our days 

 of sunshine, in the year, is double that of the 20 cities of 

 Europe, or as 130 bright days with us to 64 with them. 

 In this respect our climate is doubly blessed, in our serene 

 skies, and our more perpetual and brilliant sunshine. 



The climate of a country is variously modified by its 

 proximity and situation in regard to mountains and to the 

 ocean. The temperature of the climate on our extensive 

 Atlantic coast, differs considerably from those parts of 

 Europe and of Africa which lie in corresponding latitudes. 

 In like manner, the climate of our country will be found 

 continually varying as we advance longitudinally from its 

 eastern to its western shores. 



It has also been observed, that, within the temperate 

 zones, the western coasts of continents and large islands 

 are found to possess a higher mean temperature than the 

 eastern coasts. Our climate, on the shores of the Atlantic, 

 must, therefore, correspond nearly with that of the east- 

 ern coasts of China, Japan, and Chinese Tartary, and the 

 islands on their coasts. And the climate of our country 

 which bounds on the Pacific, may correspond nearly with 

 that of Europe on the coasts of the Atlantic, in the corre- 

 sponding latitudes. 



The geographical position of our own country and of 

 China are alike, each having its own vast ocean on the cast. 

 China possesses a peculiar country, a parallel only to our 

 own in all its divers latitudes and various climes, in all its 

 vicissitudes and extremes of heat and cold. The French 

 missionaries, who had resided previously in America, had 

 borne testimony to this striking similitude and important 

 fact, at a very early day. All productions, therefore, which 

 flourish in that country, must flourish equally well in our 

 own. Our prevailing winds, during three fourths of the year, 

 are from the west, and are dry and salubrious ; they always 

 bring fair weather and bright, sunny days. These winds of 

 the middle latitudes, which extend quite across the Atlantic, 

 are the counter currents of those eternal winds called " trade 

 winds," which, following the course of the sun, blow so con- 

 tinually at all seasons, and in the contrary direction within 

 the tropics. In Europe, this peculiarly favorable position is 

 reversed, and the prevailing or westerly winds, blowing, as 

 2* 



