On the Climate of the 



It appears, then, from the testimony of the botanical authors 

 to which I have referred, that some of these plants are found as 

 far north on the sea-coast, as in the valley of the Mississippi ; and 

 that the rest are peculiar to the latter, and consequently do not fur- 

 nish a standard by which to ascertain the comparative temperature 

 of the climate of these two different sections of our country. 



M. Volney, in farther confirmation of his theory, proceeds to de- 

 tail the facts which he collected concerning the comparative tem- 

 perature of the different seasons. These however are so vague, 

 disconnected, and unsatisfactory, as to render it unnecessary for 

 me to combat the fanciful results he has deduced from them. 



Dr. Williamson also adopts the opinion maintained by Jefferson 

 and Volney, but unfortunately adds nothing in support of it.* I 

 shall quote his remarks merely for the purpose of showing that it 

 has received his sanction upou the bare assertion of those who pre- 

 ceded him, and without the slightest examination of the arguments 

 which were adduced in its support. 



" On the western side of the Apelachian mountain," says he, 

 ; i where cultivation is hardly begun, the winters are much more 

 temperate than near the Atlantic ocean. This difference is attest- 

 ed by numerous settlers ; and it has been observed that paroquets 

 winter on the river Sciota in latitude 39°. But I have not heard 

 of their wintering in any part of the Atlantic states, to the north- 

 ward of 36? ; viz. in the Great Dismal of Tyrrel county in North 

 Carolina. It has also been observed that tender plants thrive bet- 

 ter in the western country, three or four degrees farther north, than 

 in the Atlantic states."! 



After tho authors which have been mentioned, as the advocates 

 of the theory under discussion, it is not surprising that it should 

 have received the sanction of a majority of subsequent writers up- 

 on the western country. They do not, however, advance any new 

 facts or arguments, and consequently do not deserve particular 



