COLUMBIA RIVER. 139 



This gives the mean standing of the barometer and thermometer, 

 during the day hours, at 30-32 in., and 66-33° for the summer months. 



The state of the weather, during the period of one hundred and six 

 days, was as follows : 



Fair, ..... 76 days. 



Cloudy, 19 " 



Rain, 11 " 



106 



In my inquiries of the residents, I am inclined to the opinion that the 

 above is a very fair estimate of the weather, though they almost all 

 differed in their statements : some spoke of the season as a very bad 

 one, others thought it was very fine. The crops of all descriptions of 

 grain were good, which I supposed to be the best criterion. 



The climate of the western section, throughout the year, is mild ; and 

 they neither experience extreme heat in summer, nor severe cold in 

 winter. I am disposed to believe this to be owing to the constant 

 prevalence of the southwesterly or ocean winds. It certainly is not 

 owing to the influence of any warm stream setting along its shores. 

 The current near the coast sets to the southeast, and is of a cold tem- 

 perature : it would rather tend to lessen the heats in summer than the 

 cold in winter. There have been no observations kept by the mission- 

 aries in this lower section of the country. It is liable, from the expe- 

 rience of our parties, to early frosts, owing to the proximity of the 

 Snowy Mountains. Frosts sometimes occur in the latter part of 

 August, which check all vegetation at that early season. 



The southwest winds are caused by the vast extent of the sandy and 

 arid country lying east of the Cascade and Californian range of moun- 

 tains, which becoming heated rarefies the air, and causes an indraught 

 from the west. This current is found to increase in violence as the 

 rarefied region is approached ; and so constant is this draught, that we 

 experienced only three days of eastei'ly winds during our stay, and 

 these were very moderate in force. Immediately on the coast, the 

 winds are from the west-southwest to west-northwest : these maintain 

 their direction until they reach the interior, and blow with great 

 violence. 



The winters are invariably what would be termed open ones with 

 us. Snow seldom falls, and when it does, it rarely lasts more than two 

 or three days. The rains during this season are frequent, though not 

 violent. The climate in the western section, from all accounts, is not 

 unlike that of England, and would be termed a wet one. The winter 

 of 1840 was the severest they had yet experienced. 



