NOTES ON MANITOBA. 155 



We therefore see that the summer temperature of the North- West 

 Territories is exceptional, and may be taken as confirmatory of the 

 views quoted. Believing, howevex', that in addition to the quoted 

 causes, there are others which contribute to this result of exceptional 

 temperature, I purpose, for the present, to treat it simply as a fact 

 to be noted for further comment, and pass on to the subject of 

 isothermals. The recorded lines of equal temperature show that the 

 various lines of heat, as they make westing from the easteria coast of 

 the continent, tend in summer to curve upwards from the Gulf of 

 Mexico in a noi'th- westerly direction to a point in lat. 50° long. 110° 

 west. At this point the mean summer temperature is 70° F., while 

 at Winnipeg, on the same parallel of lat., but 15° farther east, the 

 temperature is but 65°. Tracing these isothermals still further 

 north, the line of greatest heat passes near Fort Vermillion in lat. 

 68° 24' and long'. 116° 30' W. I may mention that at this point I 

 found barley cut on August 6th, 1875, and wheat almost ripe. Still 

 farther north and west, the table shows that Fort Simpson has a 

 mean summer temperature of 61°. 8 F. Turning to the west coast, 

 the isothermal lines commence to turn northward from the Gulf of 

 California, and for a time skirt the western side of the Rocky 

 Mountains. On reaching the low point of the chain between lat. 

 41° and 45° they turn to the east, cross the mountains, and strike 

 the Dominion boundary on the 115th meridian. These westerly 

 currents, mamed the " Chinooks," have been known to cause a rise in 

 the tempei'ature of 60° in a few hours. When in that country I 

 enquired from a half breed about their effect on the snow. His 

 reply was, '' the Chinook licks up snow, water and all." 



After crossing the Rocky Mountains the thermometric current of 

 the west meets that of the east at or about Hand Hills in lat. 51.20°, 

 long. 112°. There, in 1879, I found that for days together, during 

 August, the thermometer in the shade registered from 87^ to 92° F. 

 From the Hand Hills the united currents following their resultant 

 direction carry the temperature (of latitude extending almost to New 

 Orleans) over the plains of the North- West, and confer on it the 

 blessing of a climate, not only exceptional as regards character, but 

 productive of results to the agriculturist, which, I believe, are unsur- 

 passed in any other part of the world. 



Returning, however, to the course taken by the east and west 

 currents before their union at the Hand Hills, it is a matter for con- 



