lifornia and in Texas, as these countries are
still new and but little known (for, indeed, the Texans themselves know
nothing of their inland country), I will attempt a topographical sketch
of these regions, and also make some remarks upon the animals which
inhabit the immense prairies and mountains of the wilderness.

Along the shores of the Pacific Ocean, from the 42 deg. down to the 34 deg.
North, the climate is much the same; the only difference between the
winter and summer being that the nights of the former season are a
little chilly. The causes of this mildness in the temperature are
obvious. The cold winds of the north, rendered sharper still by passing
over the snows and ices of the great northern lakes, cannot force their
passage across the rocky chain south of the latitude 44 deg. N., being
prevented by a belt of high mountains or by impenetrable forests. To the
eastward, on the contrary, they are felt very severely; not encountering
any kind of obstacles, they sweep their course to the very shores of the
Gulf of Mexico, so that in 26 deg. N. latitude, on the southern boundaries
of Texas, winter is still winter; that is to say, fire is necessary in
the apartments during the month of January, and flannel and cloth
dresses are worn; while, on the contrary, the same month on the shores
of the Pacific, up to 40 deg., is mild enough to allow strangers from the
south, and even the Sandwich islanders, to wear their light nankeen
trowsers and gingham round-abouts.

There is also a wide difference between the two coasts of the continent
during summer. In Upper California and the Shoshone territory, although
the heat, from the rays of the sun, is intense, the temperature is so
cooled both by the mountain and sea-breeze, as never to raise the
mercury to more than 95 deg. Fahrenheit, even in St. Diego, which lies
under the parallel of 32 deg. 39'; while in the east, from 27 deg. in South
Texas, and 30 deg. at New Orleans, up to 49 deg. upon Lake Superior, the mercury
rises to 100 deg. every year, and frequently 105 deg., 107 deg. in St Louis, in
Prairie du Chien, Green Bay, St. Anthony's Falls, and the Lake Superior.

The _resume_ of this is simply that the climate of the western coast of
America is the finest in the world, with an air so pure, that during the
intense heat of summer a bullock, killed, cleansed, and cut into slices,
will keep for months without any salting nor smoking.

Another cause which contributes