42 On the Climate of the 



ally be inferred that it either had been, or was about to be, most sat- 

 isfactorily proved. But on the contrary, we are not a little aston- 

 ished to find, that after observing, that 44 this is one of those sin- 

 gularities that deserve so much the more attention, as I do not 

 know that it has ever yet been described with all its circumstanc- 

 es " the author adds, " for the principal fact I shall borrow the 

 words of Mr. Jefferson in his notes on Virginia." 



Subsequent to this quotation, which is contained in a former 

 part of this paper,* and upon which I have animadverted at some 

 length, M. Volney, 44 as a traveller," adduces testimony in con- 

 firmation of the assertion of Mr. Jefferson. 



And here I would again observe, that wc should receive with 

 great caution the opinions of one who appears before us in this ca- 

 pacity, on the subject of climate, the elucidation of which not only 

 requires attentive examination, but a lengthened scries of observa- 

 tions. Prejudice, and preconceived and hastily adopted notions, 

 often warp his judgment, and prevent him even from drawing cor- 

 rect conclusions from the morccaux of facts which he may chance 

 to collect in the course of his tour. But lest the charge of illibe- 

 rality should be made for the application of these remarks to the 

 author under consideration, I shall present the "principal results" 

 of the notes which he collected in his journey from Washington 

 on the Potomac to Fort Vincents,f on the Wabash ; and, in justice 

 to him and to my readers, I shall use his own language. % 



44 1796, May the 5th, the first strawberries at Annapolis, on the 

 shore, and at the level of the sea. 



44 May the 12th, the first at Washington, where the land is 



44 May the 30th, the first at Fredericktown, at the foot of Blue 

 Ridge, about a hundred and twenty feet above the level of the sea. 



44 June .the 6th, the first strawberries in the valley of Shenando, 

 west of Blue Ridge, and perhaps three hundred yards above the 

 level of the ocean. 



44 July the 1st, at Monticello the seat of Mr. Jefferson, the 

 wheat harvest commenced on the lower slopes of South-west moun- 

 tain, facing the south and south-east ; while on their backs, hav- 

 ing a north-west aspect, toward Charlottesville, it did not begin 



