210 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. XIII. 
CHAPTER XIII. 
Climate of China — Summer and Winter — Temperature of Hong- 
Kong — Of Slianghae — Monsoons — Typhoons — Signs of their 
Approach — Description of a Typhoon witnessed by the Author 
— Effect produced upon Vegetation — Kains — Wet and Dry 
Seasons. 
In order to understand Chinese agriculture, a know- 
ledge of the climate of the country is of course neces- 
sary. The dominions of the Emperor of China stretch 
over twenty-three degrees of latitude — from 18° to 41 ° 
north, and from the 98° to the 123° of east longitude ; 
thus including both tropical and temperate regions in its 
vast extent. Being placed on the east side and form- 
ing part of the large continent of Asia, it is liable to ex- 
tremes of temperature — to excessive heat in summer, 
and extreme cold in winter — which are unknown in 
many other parts of the world within the same parallels 
of latitude. One of our best writers upon China* makes 
the following very sensible remarks on this subject : — 
''Although Peking is nearly a degree to the south of 
Naples — the latitude of the former place being 39° 54', 
of the latter 40° 50' — the mean temperature of Peking is 
only 54° of Fahrenheit, while that of Naples is 63°. But 
* Davis's ' Chinese.' 
