82 



UNITED STATES. 



Dy, BarnwelPs theory is, that the western winds 

 from the Atlantic approaching the coasts of Europe* 

 mild and temperate, continue their course to the 

 eastward, over the continent, become more cold from 

 the extent f)f the elevated and frozen countries of Sibe- 

 ria and northern Tartary, over which they pass ; and 

 furnish a reason why Kanischatka and all the east- 

 ern parts of Asia, even to the southern extremity of 

 China, are as cold in the Winter as the countries of 

 similar latitudes in the eastern side of the American 

 continent, and even more so; that side of it is scarce- 

 ly habitable, as far as 50 deg, north, and we have 

 seen in the account of Hearne's tour from Hudson's 

 bay to the North Pacific, that settlements of Indians 

 vy^ere found beyond that latitude in the interior of 

 North America. But to the south of 50 deg. north 

 latitude the Pacific ocean becomes very wide, and of 

 course the wind becomes warmer in passing over it, 

 and contributes to the increased temperature of the 

 western coast of America];! but in its progress across 

 the northern part of the American continent, which 

 we have seen from the account of Mackenzie's and 

 Hearne's tour, it is very cold,and blowing over the fro- 

 zen lakes,and that elevated large tract to the westward 

 of Hudson's bay, it loses a great portion of its heat, 



• Mr. Kirwan remarks that a few days prevalence of a north-east ^ 

 wind> in England, in the Winter, often causes an extreme degree of 

 cold: for the wind may travel from Siberia to England in three ' 

 days. 



t Both Perouse, who had commanded a military and naval expedi- 

 tion against the settlement of Hudson's bay, and Cook, remark the 

 superior warmth of the western coast of America, when compared 

 with the eastern* 



