340 
SCENES IN THE PACIFIC. 
distance of the interior from the sea and the Gulf, and the ab¬ 
sence of streams of water, the heat is excessive; as great as 
in Arabia, or Sahara. A few sunken vales separated from one 
another and the world, by vast tracts of burnt heights, enjoy 
the cooling influences of shady trees and springs of water. 
And along the coast, the sea breezes and some small streams 
bursting from the barren mountains, give some humidity to 
the atmosphere in several places, and scent it with vegetation. 
But these are only unimportant qualifying circumstances to 
the general fact, that the sun heats that lofty belt so fiercely 
that vegetation refuses to grow, and water to run, it is so 
soon swallowed by the thirsty earth or evaporated by the 
parched air. From the Latitude of Loretto to the Latitude of 
San Diego, 33° N., the air becomes milder. In the mountains, 
although they are not so high and rugged as those farther 
south, the temperature is sometimes so low in winter as to pro¬ 
duce frost; and on the coast, there is an increase of humidi¬ 
ty. Between the mouth of the Colorado and the Pacific, there 
is a region of very delightful climate. The mountains increase 
in height, and among them are many beautiful plains, watered 
with abundant springs and brooks, and interspersed with many 
pleasant woodlands—which together render the air charming¬ 
ly temperate. 
In the country between the Gila and the Colorado, there is 
a great variety of temperature. From the junction of the two 
rivers, for the distance of 200 miles up the Colorado, and 
about one hundred up the Gila, the climate is exceedingly hot 
in summer, and in winter rather frosty. The generally sandy 
and barren soil, and a vertical sun, produce the one, and the 
contiguity of frozen mountains the other. The valley of the great 
Salt Lake is very hot and dry. Some few small streams and 
the partially fertile tracts lying on their banks, and the neigh¬ 
borhood of the Snowy Mountains, and the vegetation at their 
bases in the south-west, modify this description somewhat; but 
generally this great basin of former volcanic fires has a dry 
and sultry climate. 
