|g § . ■ : ;N Ö R T H A M S R I C A.
L anguage. t h a t th e M e x ic a n s a n d P e r u v ia n s w e r& d e fc e h d a n t-s-p f th e C a r th a g in ia n s ,
w h o f le d to th e H e f p e r id e s in t h e i r a b h o rr e n c e o f • th e R o m a n y p j | | |
' Progreffiye T h e p ro g re f liv e g e o g r a p h y h a s a lr e a d y b e e n tre a te d u n d e r th e g e n e ra l
Geography. h e g d _ 0 f A m e ric a , T T f li'-m o r th e r -n a n d c e n tr a l p a r t s o f t h i s d i v i l i o n a re
ftiU im p e r f e c tly k n o w n ! T h e n u m b e r o f im m e n fe . la k e s , a fm g u la r
f e a tu re o f N o r t h A m e ric a , b e g a n g r a d u a l ly to b e d ife lo fe d b y . th e
F r e n c h , in th e 1 7 th c e n tu r y ; a n d th e c u rio u s r e a d e r m a y tra c e th e
p r o g r e f s o f t h e i r k n o w l e d g e i n th é tra v e ls o f L a h o n t a n . T h o l e o f
C a rv e r, H e a r n e , a n d M a c k e n z i e , h a v e a d d e d g r e a t ly to f o rm e r dif-
' c o v e r i e s ; b u t o f th e w e f te r n r e g io n s little is k n o w n , e x c e p t th e
- {hates* . : N fx j lx : p|i
R^Hn The ruling religion'of North America is the chnftian, under various
- forms in the United States; and Roman Catholic in the Spamlh dominions,
and among the French of Canada, That of the native nations
{hali te briefly confidered in the account of the chief tribes,
te The climate of North America is extremely various’, “ as may be^conjCSvéd;
in a region extending flcpi.the sici^Lty.^f ,the .equator tp t|e
arrfic circle, ïn general the heat Qf fummUr, ,andjhe^f|vQ|' Mpter,
^ e ,mop intenfe-than in moft parts,of the anient concept, J f e r
Hudfon’s Bay Farenheit’ s thermometer has rifeii in July to 85, and
funk in January to AS below the cypher : but the mercury begins to
congeal at a o , while the fpirit of wine will fhew 46 .' The predominant
winds are here from the weft; and the ’ fevereft cold is from
jhe N. W. The middle provinces are remarkable for the unfteadinefs
pf the weather, particularly the quick tranfitions from heat to cold,
Snow falls plentifully in Virginia, but feldom lies above .a day or two;
yet after a mild, or even warm day, James river, where it is two orthrec
miles in breadth, has in one night been clothed with ice, fo as to be
paffed by travellers; Such furprifing alterations feem tp proceed from
■ the fudden change of the wind to the N. W. The provinces of South
Carolina and Florida are fubjeft to unfuflFerable heat, furious .whirlwinds,
hurricanes, tremendous thunder, and fatal lightnings; and the fudden
changes of the weather are alike pernicious to the human frame. A violent
tuffoon happened near Charleftown in 1761, appearing like a
* Pennant, A. 2 . rfxxx. liftai
n o r t h a m e r i c a .
c o ld m b o f fm o k e , w i th a n o ife lik e t h u n d e r , p lo u g h in g th e v e r y b e d s o f Climate.
t h e riv e r s * B a ird d iftu lh rg u n iv e r f a l d e ftr u d tio n t h r o u g h o u t its p ro *
g W '
' F ew o p p o i trin itie s h a v e y e t a rife n f o r a c c u ra té a c t o u n ts o f th e c lim a t e ,„
i r r tn e *weWrn ,p ^ r t \ "ÀrÆn^: îsT | i F fcII®4rMr|feI; <;<
iff: g e n e r a l m o c k r a te f ^ a n d " ^ f c a f ln t , tT O m g l r t ^ r e v ^ a r T n r d f e m o J e d ^ y "
th e h e a t .o f r f u m im ^ r . J u k t . , J u n d h a " . p n o f t f n i j i n 'i n d ‘w in - ‘
t e r y a p p e a r a n c e , e v e n in J u n e : th e g lo om is in c ré à fe d ' b y Æ é q u e n t
« a n d t h e ^ |p |||e r s fe em p e rp e tu a l.“; !
AmOng the inland*fe&&,ofUNort h-A merfcai,,mav.be,.iagmtioejed.-the In'andSeas.
gu|£«dT,I^exfe|U{Crf|prnia,. and? 'Srf La\|r.lr|çë(£ with! Hudfon's miL
HjiMfon’si^^^fand what^.pâ^Sfthe lirait ® ^ ^ Sw h icU
iswuroEably a aea‘of comrmlnicatlm tetw^n "
ogearrs. Tb,e ex^enc^of B,ÿK!n’s..Bay is,d9ubtml^ asbalrea dvinewn 4,
but, thgre^ aré.fe^eraLJ[akqs„ of fo /great. a. jffal th&y defeuvSfio. be
diffluguilhed .bystlje name. tp^^as^?mrticukrl.y JSkgjs SuueHorT iMi*.,
cMga^ij apd, JJurop, whiplL„^fl jHt^g, ,nne. piece ofl^ater, ‘ aferpLa dp,
miles,in length ; and thq^grgfit ffla.ve Lake inÆhnnorth ,\s, 1 aitf » dowp,, as,
abqnf 3taa*B., piles in- ^epgth. : Ifl Afia no h-efe^tiôri has^jb^nrdrewn by i
geog’l^phers^ in-applying^ the.pump, of Sea ,to. hte, ia,fe&|of A*ral, which is
abottUfaso miles .in-length ; and.thqfea pf'Ba-jkaluaboUt||j§g| But t;her
latter i^jnot above. 35 nfiles in breadth, while the<I$lçetSuperior is more.
thjan^i©©.
'0f^fl,:thg{e?feas the .gulf Æ^f-M^co is-ith^poft^elebrapdis^r-lynig Gulf of
in aitpoft Favourable climate, and^prefehtiog at its 'entrance ^hafe >gpnd^'Mc*,c,‘
archipelago of North American-illands called -.the .WeftT'ridtes! < From--
tlfejgulfr||flngtdar' current fets towards'the N.tSl| ^his Gürrent called
,tfle gulf ftream pàues to" the banks>of/Ntwfbsn.|i|aaid,' and is'fuppoied’to-T
proceed»from th'e accumulation of waters by the tràdejvyind. It isjdtf-
tiuguilhed- from other ;parts of the ocean by the.igi||f; weed i -is’'eight.pr ’•
Ba Pcroufc, ii. 67. '■ **
* The Bay of Bifoay an.d;that of. Bengal may perhaps- autliorife the 'received appellation ; but
tliefe bays flrould' .rather ..be’ called feas or gulfs, if there were any imiformity in géographie
tetmi, » ’ - I /, - tqT
3 2 2 ten