UNITED STATES. 



' comparison, we find, that North America has strik- 

 ing resemblances, not only in climate but in soil, with 

 the north oL-China, and the adjoining country of Tar- 

 tary. 



In the southern states, as Virginia, the Carolinas, 

 and Georgia, the duration and intensity of the cold 

 diminish, in pretty regular proportion, to the lati- 

 tude» The course of the Potowmac, or more pre- 

 cisely that of the Patapsco, forms a striking line of 

 demarcation in this respect. Here the domain of 

 snow terminates ; and the traveller coming from the 

 north, who had hitherto seen sledges at the door, or 

 in the court of every farm, perceives .not another 

 after he has descended the steep hill, at the foot of 

 v/hich the Patapsco flows.; but inland, toward the 

 Blue P^idge, the snow prolongs its limits a little ; iu 

 consequence of the elevation of the ground. This 

 coast, however, has pretty sharp attacks of frost in 

 the forty days succeeding the Winter solstice. On 

 the contrary, on all the coast beyond the Potawmac, 

 the heat, from a month before the Summer solstice, 

 is so great, that, during the space of four months, 

 the quicksilver commonly rises, in the aftevnoon, 

 to 22 or 24 degrees of Reaumur, notv/ithstanding a 

 gentle sea-breezee It rises even to 32 and 33 de- 

 grees at Savannah; which is m.uch higher than in 

 Egypt, where 25 degrees is the common term, in 

 the shade ; not to mention, that a constant brisk 

 wind, and very dry air, contribute to render this de- 

 gree of heat supportable there. On the 17th of 

 July, 1758, Mr. Henry Ellis observed the quicksiU 

 ver at 31 degrees, at Savannah ; and he complain- 

 ed, that for several nights it did not sink belQW 23 



