The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1856-07-31

What a condensing power is thus created in q tropical forest
Aside by this a priori deduction set the fact, that IN wooded
tropical regions about seventy per cent. OF the annual average
of rain fall during night, and you will find the connexion be-
Of cooling down, it is easily conceived, cannot be limited to int
part of the day. Thus We may contend with full reason, that
forests cool down the average temperature of a country and
ic moisture in the shape of rain or dew.
could have no influence on increasing the annual quantity Of
rain, however much they might contribute, by leSsening evapo-
the fall of rain ovts the different seasons. The aggregate amount
Of rain falling on our globe, or even within defined zones, in the
course Of a year, probably does not vary as long as the sun con-
tinues to send Us eyery year year the same amount OF heat; Blu eer-
commonly large proportion, and perhaps there prevails even in
the grand chain Of cause and effect in the universe, the law Of
quicker the atmosphere is debarrassed of its load, the sooner it
viii charge again. BE this as it may, experience seems to have
mean annual quantity of rain. In st. Helena, where extensive
plantations have been carried on for a number of years, careful
observations show, that the early average of rain has almost
doubled since the time that Napoleon was a prisoner in Long
wood, and the torrential floods formerly so common had not 6
in point is probably the lake Aragua in venzueIa. This large
inland lake, bounded from all sides by high ranges of mountains,
which pour ia their waters, and at the same time debar its outlet,
was seen and accurately described towards the end of the six
teenth century by oVledo who says that the town OF Valencia was
founded 1906, al the distance of half a league or one and a
quarter english mile from the shore. When Humboldt visited the
valley in 1904, he found the town three and a quarter miles re-
moved from its banks. What formerly had been described as
isles had arisen from under the surface of the water. Rich
bottom lands had been gained by the retrocession of the water,
which were covered with hour5hinS plantations of cotton, sugar,
and cacao. The whole valley bore the loveliest aspect, covered
as it was with the work of industry and labor. Even the slopes
of the hills had been stripped of their trees and Transformed into
cornfields. The retrogression of the lake had been noticed by
the inhabitants with astoniShment, and was generally ascribed
to u subtcrranean outlet. IIumboldt's genius OWNED the true
cause and from it threw out the warning with which 1 introduced
the present investigation. some time after MS leave the war OF
liberation broke out, slavery was abolished, hands and capital
went to ruin. The maize and cornields on the slopes gave way
again to brushwood and forest, which sprang up quickly with
five years after Humboldt, Boussingault visited the place and
now found, that the water of the lake instead of continuing to
recede, had risen perceptibly, submerging the isles of new for
nation and swamping the cotton fields on the rich bottom lands~
Lakes without exit, which receive the waters of hil-bound
basins II considerable extent, are certainly the best test guaSeS
to apply to the present question. Observations in regard to
them are manifold in all continents. So Boussingault infers from
numerous data, that the two lakes of Ubate and zimyaca, in New
country round them has since been cleared of woods for the
supply of fuel for two neghbouring salt springs. and as a
the former, which was exactly measured byCandamire, in 173S,
was found by him in the same limits in 1881. This lake is stu
ated at an elevation of $4,000 feet, uninfuenced by the effects of
agriculture and vegetation. Similar are the conclusions, Saus-
sere arrived at, from a careful study of the lakes of NeufcllateL,
Brienne, and Morat, and those of Humboldt with regard to those
ofSouthern Siberia; HIndostan also offers some direct instan-
ces to the point. On the high table land of the Dekan, the an
nual rain fall averages from 30 to 200 inches but in some of its
observations show only a fall of Toto % inches. The reckless
destruction of the Spice trees on Some of the Banda Islands,
into as many bare rocks. From the Cape de Verde Islands sounds
this moment a cry of distress. The usual drought which since
the destruction of the woods befal these now to rock and sand
reduced islands, Cor three successive years they have had no
rain have again produced one of their regular effects. Famine
and disease had slaughtered already six thousand of their
wretcAed inhabitants before the beginning of April, and two
thousand more, 50 says the proclamation of the Portuguese
Governor, would fall 1y the scourge before the end OF
summer, unless charity from abroad sent relief. [ could
multiply my illustrations, but shall conclude with calling
attention to the state of climate on the Pacific coast of South
America, from the Gulf OF barren, down the coast OF New
Granada and Ecuador in contrast to the Immediately following
coast of Peru. Both are, so far as mean annual temperature,
are concerned similarly situated, but the former is densely, COW
cred with forests while the latter is remarkable for its total
absence of the same. Now what is the result, The former
is supplied abundantly with rain in the province OF Che
once in seventeen years. One tract of the Peruvian coast
"Sechura " derivesits name from this circumstance. 1t is well
known that the inhabitants of Lima consider roofs a superfous
incumbrance to their houses.
L might still enlarge upon the fertIizing agency Of forests in
fixing the carbon of the atmosphere, thereby supplying the soil
with humus, or the great superiority of rain over running water,
inasmuch as the former precipitates in the shape of carbonate o
ammonia the nitrogen so indispensable to all nutritious parts O
a plant. L could demonstrate to you, that the mud which now
pence of dredging it, would for the greatest part have been re-
tanned on the inclined plains of your vanies, to become as useful
as it is now annoying, by the presence of trees, i'll did not feal
to draw out to undue, length my present discourse.
Thus the testimony in support Of our main question has &C.
forests will render the climate. cool and wet, while absence o.
multitude of brooks and rivers, swannps and lakes, and enveor
the surface in mists and fog the rains are equally distributed
of summer and winter is small agriculture will only prosper
where the aggregate amount of summer heat is large enough tt
mature its products, that is, in lower ATTITUDES. The latter con
dition gives to the country a clear unclouded sky the differ
sive, the winters are colder, the sumrner warmer Ne rains
either disappear or are limited to one short season, in which
they fall with. extraordinary violence and overflow the generally
the dry beds of the streams vegetation is suspended during
of climate is particularly favorable to agriculture. Here, az
everywhere, the golden middle road is the best: Clear enough
accumulate during the vegetating season heat enough to mature
tract and economist the necessary supply of moisture, indispen
sable to all organic beings. Now it will be clear. how in ont
. DWC0 c@IN AGtGLS VIM oIINC W l1H1 1Dlh-Ol " NINNl i&DS III
lovely garden, swelling with the, richest offerings of Nature
choicest gifts, while in another the arid sand of the desert set
ties down, where reckless selfshness of man in its steady com
bat with Nature, succeeded in routing the latter. There we SCI
the first stage, here the second of the grand revolution. Wha
a terrible warning what an amount of wholesome instruc
tons is contained in this reflection!
No one has more forcibly expressed these sentiments than thu
venerable veteran amongst the eminent naturalsts of our age
Elias Fries, of Lund, in Sweden: I" A broad border of devastated
land follows progressively the steps of cultivation. With it
extension its center and cradle dies, and only in the circum
ference are found its green branches. But it is not impossible
difficult only for man, to repair the damage he has inflicted
without renouncing the blessings of cultivation itself. H,
is destined to be the lord of creation.n 1t w true, thistle
and thorns, ugly and venomous plants, poignantly callet
dunghil plants by botanists and others, trace the patti
which man has travelled hitherto over the earth. Before hin
lays primitive nature in her wild but sublime beauty behind
him he leaves the desert, an unseemly exhausted land. Fo
childish love of destruction or improvldent waste of the vege
table treasures have annhilated the character of nature, anc
frightened man himself fees from the scene of his misdeeds
leaving 80 savage tribes or the wild beast the degraded earth
as long as another spot aiures him in virgin beauty. Here also
seeking selhshy his own gain and following aware or unawar
the most abomlnable principle, the most execrabe immortality
ever enuneiated 'apriS moi te detuge," he begins anew hi
I work of destruction. Thus the moving cultivation left the East
and earlier perhaps the desert, spoiled of its vestments, thus
| abandoned the whilom beautiful grvoe to savage hords. Thu
this conquest rolls with stupendous celebrity from East to West
through America, and there now already the planters leave tn
exhausted soil of the Eastern shores, the climate rendered un
productive by the humiliation of the forests, to initiate in tn
n West a similar nValnfjn Rt wa 600 oIo hot pObIa mo