DIVERSITY OF CLIMATE. 347 
lera, and running from the 18th to the 40th degree 
of north latitude. The descent towards the coasts 
is by a graduated series of terraces, which oppose 
great difficulties to the communication between the 
maritime districts and the interior, presenting at the 
same time an extraordinary diversity of vegetation. 
The plains along the coasts are the only parts 
that possess a climate adapted to the productions of 
the West Indies,—the mean temperature of those 
situated within the tropics, and whose elevation does 
not exceed 984 feet, being from 77° to 78°8°, which 
is several degrees greater than the mean temperature 
of Naples. These fertile regions, which produce 
sugar, indigo, cotton, and bananas, are named 7%er- 
ras calienies. Europeans remaining in them for 
any considerable time, particularly in the towns, are 
liable to the yellow fever or black vomiting. On the 
eastern shores the great heats are occasionally tem- 
pered by strata of refrigerated air brought from the 
north by the impetuous winds that blow from Octo- 
ber to March, which frequently cool the atmosphere 
to such a degree, that at Havannah the thermome- 
ter descends to 32°, and at Vera Cruz to 60°8°. 
On the declivities of the cordillera, at the eleva- 
tion of 3937 or 4921 feet, there prevails a mild 
climate, never varying more than four or five de- 
grees. To this region, of which the mean annual 
temperature is from 68° to 69°8°, the natives give the 
name of Tverras templadas. Unfortunately these 
tracts are frequently covered with thick fogs, as they 
occupy the height to which the clouds usually as. 
cend above the level of the sea. 
The plains which are elevated more than 7218 
feet above that level, and of which the mean tem- 
