HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



175 



Chiapa, of the Indians, at a little diftance from it, is 

 extremely hot, becaufe it is fituated very low. Cha- 

 chicomula, a large village, fituated at the foot of the 

 very lofty mountain Ozizaba, is cool, but Vera Cruz, 

 placed in the fame latitude, is very hot ; and what is 

 more, the air of Cividad Real is cool in the latitude of 

 16^, and that of Loretto, in California, in lat. 254, is 

 very hot. i 



The obfervations made by M, de Paw convince us 

 that the climate of America is not fo various as that of 

 Europe ; that the inhabitants of the new world are not 

 like thofe of the greater part of Europe, obliged to en- 

 dure the alternate extremes of exceflive cold, and intoler- 

 able heat. The more uniform a climate, the more eafily 

 are men familiarized to it, and efcape ihofe pernicious 

 effects which follow a viciflitude of feafons. In Quito 

 the thermometer does not rife fo high as it does in Paris 

 in the fummer ; but neither does it fall fo low as it does 

 in the temperate climes of Europe in winter. What can 

 be more delirable in a climate than a temperature of air 

 which is equally diftant from either extreme, fuch as that 

 of Quito, and the greater part of Mexico ? What cli- 

 mate more fweet and kind to life than that in which the 

 delights of the country are enjoyed all the year, and the 

 earth is continually adorned with herbs and flowers ; 

 where the fields are covered with corn, and the trees 

 loaded with fruit ; the herds and the flocks fpare man 

 his fatigues, and have no need of his provifion to main- 

 tain them, or his, roof to refill the inclemency of the 

 weather; neither fnow nor froft compel him to keep 

 near a fire, nor do burning heats in fummer check his 

 increafe ; but conflantly experiencing the bounty of 

 nature towards him, he enjoys equally in all feafons the 



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