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67.

America posseses a climate peculiar to itself
the quantity and prevalance of heat and cold seems
to be governed by laws materially differing from those
that regulate the temperature of other parts of the earth.

It is certain that a person would be materially
led astray were he to form an opinion of the temperature
of Canada from the analogy of local situation.

It lies for instance in the same parallel of latitude
as France, but instead of exhaling the exquisite
fragrance of flowers and ripening delicate fruits
into delicious excellence as is the case in that country
its surface is covered with accumulated snows, for
nearly one half of the year, and vegetation is suspended
for the same period from continuted frosts,
yet this circumstance is not attended with so much
rigour as any one would be disposed to suspect, and
notwithstanding the apparent severity, Canada enjoys
a climate that is congenial to health in an eminent
degree, and highly induces to fertilize its soil.

Heat and cold are certainly felt to extremes, the
latter both for duration and intensity by far the most
predominant is supposed to derive much of its force
from the following causes. viz. the land stretches
from the St. Lawrence towards the north pole, which
it approaches much nearer to, and with less intervention
of sea, than that of the old continent, it
expands also an immense distance to the Westward
therefore this winds between the Northeast and Northwest
passing over a less surface of water, than in
the same portion of the other hemisphere.