Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-03-27


minish the temperature Of adjoining regions
"a. The prevalent winds Of this country are
from the North West--is msy be said indeed, to bs
the chief wind OF the united States The cold
brought BY this wind, says yolsey, was formerly
imagined to proceed from the five grea, lakes
Its source must now, however, be sought amongst
the icy deserts which. between ATTITUDES IS dec.
ard so deg, are frozea nine and ten months ia the
year; in the frozen or Arctic Ocean which com
uenees at the parallel of 70 deg. and in the Nor.
,hern ridges and slopes of the chippewsn moun-
sains which always buried in snow.
Sd. The greater expanse Of surface presented
by the Eastern Hemisphere to the equatorial &C.
ton Of the sun. Cast yoor eyes for moment over
the map Of this continent and !, will be perceived
that the entire Of land lying between the Tro-
pic Of Cancers and the Equator Is not greater than
some three or four Of our large Sistes whilst near.
y 2.3 Of the continent Of Africa lies in the same
latitude. Then, when il is considered. that tbs
surface Of Africa Is covered with sand and is msin
" destitute Of forests and vegetation we may see
the force Of tha, emphatic remark Of Matte Brua.
ia which he compares Africa to IAN immense fur.
mace distributing its heat 10 Arabia, Turkey IN
Asia, and to Europe"
iih. A further cause OF the higher temperature
of Europe Is the Gulf stream, which yolney, with
such poetic and philosophical beauty. terms vat
sk0re!ess riUer." and which, commencing in the
Gulf of Mexico and stretching across the Atlantic
between Cape Hatterss, and the Azores, forms
nearly in the middle Of the Northern Atlantic a
lake CT river Of raym uater not inferior in extent
TO the Mediterranean sea. While therefore cold
polar stream, sweeping immense masses efce into
lower ATTITUDES, directed upon the coast ofNorth
America, the warm air OF this ocean river is wefl.
ed over the whole Of the coast Of Western Europe
from Cape Finlstere TO North Cape; and there
winds, /, is said even penetrate through the wide
gate between the Hartl mountains and the Scan.
devinian ranges into the recess of the Baltic.i
5th. The more extensive surface Of the Earth in
Europe. exposed by cultivation to the action Of the
sun and winds. Even in this county, since it.
first settlement, an extensive change has taken
plaes in the climae--a fact noticed by Jefferson,
Rush. Williams aud Lahoutan aud asctibed to two
causes:
/ LIST. To the clearing Of the ground aud thus pro,
ducing mass Of warm air, which is constantly in.
creasing.
| I'd To the tf warm winds, through those
| openings BY which tbs country is dried more rapid
ly and the atmosphere more heated.
1 We will close this article, already too protract-
ed, with two questions The first from Dr. Rush:
! Il seems says that distinguished physician as
If our climate compound of all other c-
mates in the world. We have tho damps and
gloom OF Britain in the spring the scorching rays
of Africa in summer, the mild temperature Of Ita'
ly in june the cold and SNOW of Norway and the
ice Of Holland, in the winter, somewhat Of the
storms OF the West Indies every season, and the
cepricious winds and huc,uating weather of Great
Britain throughout the year.
March, says volney, when the vernal equinox
at hand, is usually bleak and stormy with fs.o
snow from the North East or North-W The
suns return towards the northern tropic might be
expected TO bring back hot weather, but the preva.
lence Of NORTHEAST winds the long previou. reign
of the North West, more impetous than ever and
the GOODNESS which the earth has acquired from it's
influence, retards Vegetation much that the
ground is bare and desolate throughout April a. in
March.
1t is not till May, in laritudes SO deg and
81 deg. that the forest becomes green; delay the
more surprising, as the suns rays insuferably
hot towards the last of April and the difference in
seasons between Virginia and Canada is
than ten days. for the leaves are unfoeed at Que.
bee by the 18th of May, only IS days after break
ing up The change is great that it seems as if
carpet Of verdure suddenly spread out on
Aoor of 500 miles in extent.
Hence it is, travellers have often observed, the
United States have spring the transition Is 40
immediate from severe cold 20 scorching heat and
the incongrous assemblage is constantly seen OF a
freezing wind aud burning sun; a wintry land
scape and a summer sky.
'Fony. tForrey.