The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-05-30

these seasons southerly winds produce
effects directly opposite to the former
being warm winds in summer and cold |
winds in Water, A great portion Of
this vast region Gin some places to with
in a short distance of the Arctic Circle, !
is covered with forests of the largest and
most valuable trees. Even upon some
of the islands of Prince Williams Sound,
in 81 degrees, north latitude, where it
might be expected that the influence of
the wind and sea would prevent or re-
tard the growth Of trees, Cook found the
Canadian and spruce pine of large size
and of the country adjacent to Norton
Sound, lying in 81 degrees and So min
utes north latitude he says From the
elevated spot on which Mr. King sur
veyed the sound, he could distinguish
many extensive valleys with rivers run
ming through them, well wooded and
bounded by bills Of gentle ascent, and
moderate height. One Of these rivers
appeared TO be Of considerable size
Some of the people, who penetrated be-
yond this into the country, found the
trees larger the farther they advanced
In speaking Of the resources Of Russian
America, Sir John Richardson, in his
work upon the Arctic Sea- ching Expe.
dition,' quotes Bongard with reference
to one portion of it, who says that the
Hill Of Westevoi' near Norfolk Sound,
in north latitude ifty-eight degrees,
which Is three thousa nd feet, French
measure, in height, is clothed to its sum
nit by dense forest of pines and spru
ces, some Of which acquire circum-
ference Of twenty'one feet, and the pros
digious lenth of one hundred and sixty
feet, and that the hollow trunk of one
of these trees, made into a canoe is able
to contain thirty men with all their
household effects Sir John adds : The
climate of Sitka,' (the name of the bay
as well as the island upon which is stu
ated New Archangol, the chief port of
the Russian company, lying in fifty
seven degrees north latitude is very
much milder than that of Europe on the
same parallel, the cold of winter being
neither severe nor of long continuance.
The humidity of the atmosphere gives
astonishing vigor to the vegetation, but
although the forest, nourished by very
moist atmosphere and comparatively
| high mean temperature, is equal to that
of the richest woodlands of the Northern
United States, yet corn does not ripen
there. This humidity Of the atmos-
phere, which is occasiOned by the sur
rounding sea, Is doubtless the cause of
corn not coming to perfection at Sitka !;
for some distance in the interior Of the
continent, as Far east as the Mackenzie,
in the trrritory occupied by the Hudson
Bry company, the cereals are success,
fully cultivated up to 60 degrees north
latitude, and occasionally in some spots
situated five degrees fmther.' In the
ncighborhood of the Mackenzie, Sir
John Richardson says that Fort Laird,
of the sixtieth parallel, may be consider
ed as the northern limit Of the economi-
cal of wheat, as in the interior of Rus.
| sian America the climate must be Of
drier nature than upon the seaboard, aud
probably more in the extreme, that is
colder in winter and warmer in summer,
much of the interior may be well adapt
ed for growth Of the cereals, although
they cannot be successfully cultivated
at the Russian establishments upon the
coast. The harbOr of Sitka, and sew
eral other fine harbors are open during
the whole winter thus showing an
extraordinary contrast to the opposite
coasts of Asia, which are icobound for
three parts Of the year. Even as high
up as Behring's Straits great difference
Of climate exists between the coasts of
the Asiatic and American continents
In his Travels Round the World Sir
George Simpson remarks that although
at some points Behring's Straits are only
forty five miles wide, in the general ap-
pearanee of the two coasts there is a
marked difference, the western side be
ing low, fiat and sterile, while the east
ern is well wooded, aud in every respect
better adapted than the other for the
sustenance Of both man and beast
Moreover, the soil aud climate improve
rapidly on the American shore as one
descends, and at Cooks inlet, (in sixty
degrees north latitude,) potatoes may
be raised with ease, although they hard
ly ripen in any part Of Kamstchatka,
which extends nearly ten degrees south.
Thus both in soil aud climate, the great
portion of Russian America, bordering
upon the sea, is not inferior to the east
eTn coasts of America and Asia, wheth-
er lying in the same or a mach lower
parallel. Sitka, for instance, which is
SO degrees north latitude, has a climate
almost as temperate as that Of London,
in 81 degrees north latitude, 1.-THE mean
annual temperature OF the former heing
45 degrees A minutes, aud that of the
latter 40 degrees 70 minutes, and it
has also about as mild a winter as the
southern portion of Japan, situated in a
lower latitude. The superiority, how
ever, of the climate and soil of Russian
A n,a,iaa en;l oal al;