14 



PLATE II. 



ISLAND OF SITKA, WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA. 



The aspect of this country and its luxuriant vegetation hardly remind us of its 

 high northern situation. On the eastern side of the same continent, there are no 

 longer any trees in latitude 57° — 58° north. Eepeated reference has already been 

 made, in the illustrations to the Atlas, &c, to the peculiar character of the 

 western coast, influenced in this northern region by the high mountains, which, 

 forming a protection towards the north, increase the mildness of the climate. 

 Hence the uniformity of the temperature, — the necessary consequence of the per- 

 petual influence of the sea-breezes. If the winter be generally mild, but stormy, 

 the summer has nothing of the heat distinguishing it elsewhere, whilst there is 

 little continued fine weather in any season. The sky is generally covered with 

 clouds, and rainy days preponderate throughout the year. It seems to be princi- 

 pally this feature of the climate which imparts to the pine forests of this country 

 their surprising power and luxuriance, and clothes even naked rocks, exhibiting no 

 traces of vegetable mould, with woody vegetation. A succeeding illustration 

 (Plate III.) will give a conception of these woods ; the present leads us into a 

 district, far away from human habitations, where partly the axe, partly violent 

 winds have effected a clearing, showing amongst the remnants of old trunks the 

 luxuriantly growing underwood ; further on is seen one of those swamps, filling 

 nearly all the little valleys, and backed by high and almost impenetrable forests. 

 The two pines, growing intermingled in this wood, are represented in our view in 

 several characteristic specimens, especially Pinus Canadensis, distinguished by its 



delicate foliage | 8 -Y The other species, a new one, has been named 



UNDERWOOD AND SWAMP. 



July. 



