Chap. XVI. 
CLIMATE OF JAPAN. 
winter — such as are unknown on our side of the 
world within the same degrees of latitude. But 
the sea, surrounding and running between the 
various islands, prevents the extremes of heat and 
cold from being so great as they are on the main- 
land. Hence Japan is a much more healthy and 
agreeable place of residence than China, at least 
for the English and other inhabitants of the more 
temperate parts of Europe. 
My remarks on climate, and the tables of tempe- 
rature, &c., which I shall bring forward, apply more 
particularly to the island of Nipon, near the capital 
and centre of the empire. At Nagasaki, on the 
island of Kiu-siu, in the south, the winters are less 
cold than at Yedo ; while at Hakodadi, in Yesso, 
they are longer and more severe. The Russian 
traveller Golownin tells us that at Hakodadi the 
first snow fell about the middle of October, but soon 
melted ; winter set in about the 15th of November, 
with deep snow, which lasted until April. But 
making these allowances for the differences of lati- 
tude, the information which I shall give of the 
climate of Nipon will present a fair idea of that of 
the country generally. I am indebted for the 
following tables to Dr. Hepburn, an American 
medical missionary in Kanagawa, and they may, 
I am confident, be fully relied upon. 
In looking at the annexed table it will be seen 
that July and August are the two hottest months 
in the year, having a maximum temperature of 92° 
and a minimum of 63°. In January and February, 
