86 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



CHAPTER HE. 



CLIMATE. 



62. Main Features. One of the chief advantages of 

 California is its admirable climate. After a careful study of 

 all the accessible books relating to the subject and their num- 

 ber is large I claim and believe it to be more conducive to 

 health and comfort, and intellectual and physical activity, than 

 that of any other country in the world. Other climates may 

 be better, but if so their meterological statistics are not within 

 my reach, and they may belong to countries objectionable on 

 account of their isolated situation or the semi-civilized condi- 

 tion of their inhabitants. . Among these may be Tasmania, and 

 certain districts in the mountains of Mexico and South Amer- 

 ica. 



The climate of the valleys in California is unlike that of 

 every other country, and particularly dissimilar to that of 

 the American States east of the Rocky Mountains, resembling 

 in general character that of Spain. Its chief peculiarities, 

 as distinguished from the Eastern States, are, that the winters 

 are warmer ; the summers especially at night cooler ; the 

 changes from heat to cold not so great nor so frequent ; the 

 quantity of rain less, and confined principally to the winter 

 and spring months ; the atmosphere drier ; the cloudy days 

 fewer ; violent wind storms, thunder, lightning, hail, snow, ice, 

 and the aurora borealis, rarer ; and the winds more regular 

 blowing from the north for fair weather, and from the south 

 for rain. 



