\ 



m 



solely of the mean temperature of the whole 

 year*. If we take from the United States all 

 their possessions west of the Mississipi, their re- 

 lative population would be 121 instead of 58 to 

 the square league, consequently much greater 

 than that of New Spain ; in taking from the 

 latter , country the Provincias internets (north 

 and north-east of Nueva Galicia), we should 

 find 190, instead of 90, souls to the square 

 league. 



The following are the particular statements 



* It would be taking me too far from my subject to push 

 this comparison farther, and discuss to what degree the whole 

 of the means might throw light on the mode of distribution 

 both of the temperature and of the population. I have en- 

 deavoured to prove in another place ( Des lignes isothermes> 

 pp. 62, and 71) that, in the system of European climates, the 

 mean temperature of the winter begins to be below the point 

 of congelation, only where the mean temperature of the 

 whole year sinks at least 10° of the centigrade thermometer. 

 The lower is the mean annual temperature, so much greater 

 is the difference of temperature of the winter and the summer. 

 In the same manner the very feeble relative population of a 

 whole country, of considerable extent, generally indicates 

 that state of dawning cultivation which produces great ine- 

 quality in the distribution of the inhabitants. What Buffon, 

 with that propriety of expression which characterizes his 

 style, has called extreme climates, (the climates of the interior 

 of continents where very severe winters succeed very hot 

 summers,) corresponds in some measure with population 

 unequally accumulated ; and two phenomena of a nature en- 

 tirely different, furnish, if we consider them as mere quantita- 

 tive estimates, very remarkable analogies. 



