50 THOUGHTS ON THE 



including New Holland in the same division as Asia, and 

 separating these from the isles of the Great Ocean to add them 

 to America, we will just consider how far the smaller divisions 

 are consonant with nature. 



America has always been the land most dear to my heart. 

 Her boundless forests, her stupendous mountains, her un- 

 rivalled rivers, her lakes, her cataracts, have haunted my 

 imagination from my earliest youth. I had hoped to have 

 passed my younger days in exploring the endless treasures 

 that her fruitful regions offer to the naturalist; and, should 

 my life be lengthened to a longer date than it now in all 

 probability will be, to have passed my more advanced years 

 '* en el retrato lisongero que ofrece este pais virtuoso y feliz, 

 mientras otros muchos del globo no presentan mas que escenas 

 de ruina y de miseria." But, " dis aliter visum est." Never- 

 theless, my mind is constantly recurring to those lands so dear 

 to it ; and, therefore, when reflecting on the subject of these 

 divisions, I naturally began with considering how far they 

 would agree with nature in the New World. We shall soon 

 see the result. 



North America is divided into two unequal parts by a line 

 nearly agreeing with the 103d meridian. It is to be again 

 divided by lines in latitudes 72°, 60°, 48°, 36°, 24°, and 20° ; 

 and these subclimates are again to be divided by lines distant 24° 

 of longitude. But does this agree with nature ? is this in accord- 

 ance with the inflection of isothermal lines? are the natural 

 boundaries attended to? I will merely point to that space 

 comprised in the western intermediate subclimate, which in- 

 cludes the basin of the Colombia, the northern plains of New 

 Mexico, the sources of the Missouri and Platte, and nearly the 

 whole course of these two rivers until their junction. This 

 surely is a division containing countries as different in climate, 

 soil, and productions, as can possibly be found. The plants of 

 the east of Asia differ less from those of the territory of Oregon 

 than these last from those of the regions east of the Chippe- 

 wayan. The isothermal lines which decline towards the 

 south until they reach the Chippewayan or Rocky Mountains, 

 suddenly bend northward after crossing this chain. Let any 

 one who has read the travels of Lewis and Clarke across the 

 Chippewayan to the Pacific Ocean call to mind the extra- 

 ordinary change of climate which they found on crossing those 



