ANNOTATIONS AND ADDITIONS. 



135 



current, is somewhat lower than that of Danzig, yet the 

 winter temperature of the American station is milder than 

 that of the port on the Baltic. 



Snow is hardly ever seen on the banks of the Oregon or 

 Columbia river, and ice on the river lasts only a very few 

 days. The lowest temperature which Mr. Ball once observed 

 there in the winter of 1833 was 6^ of Reaumur below 

 the freezing point, or 17.4 Fahrenheit (Message from the 

 President of the United States to Congress, 1844, p. 160 ; 

 and Forry, Clim. of the U. States, p. 49, 67, and 73). 

 A cursory glance at the summer and winter temperatures 

 above given, shews that on and near the west coast, a true 

 insular climate prevails. The winter cold is less than in 

 the western parts of the old continent, and the summers 

 are much cooler. The most striking contrast is presented 



