At 7 o'clock, A. M. 67 }
At 1 o'clock, P. M. 80 } Total meen 71° neerly.
At 9 o'clock, P. M. 67 }
For _AUGUST_.
At 7 o'clock, A. M. 62 }
At 1 o'clock, P. M. 77 } Total meen 68 neerly.
At 9 o'clock, P. M. 66 }
Theze facts, tho they cannot be the foundation of exact calculations,
because the observations were not made at the same hour of the day, and
perhaps the thermometers were not exactly alike or in the same situation
az to heet, the facts I say may stil establish the following conclusion:
That tho the middle of the days in summer may be az warm and even warmer
in New England, than in Carolina, yet the nights are much cooler.
In July, the meen temperature at Boston, at seven o'clock in the
morning, waz seven degrees less than at Charleston at six o'clock. At
one o'clock, P. M. the meen heet at Boston waz within three degrees of
the heet in Charleston at two o'clock. At ten o'clock at night, the meen
heet at Charleston, waz ten degrees abuv that at Boston at nine o'clock.
The meen temperature for the whole month in Charleston, exceeded that in
Boston, seven degrees. Similar remarks may be made of the munth of
August.
Meen heet at Charleston, for January, 1789.
At 7 o'clock, A. M. 50 }
At 2 P. M. 55 } Total meen 52-1/3.
At 10 P. M. 52 }
At Boston, for the same munth.
At 7 o'clock, A. M. 21 }
At 1 P. M. 29 } Total meen 25 neerly.
At 9 P. M. 24 }
Meen heet at Philadelphia, for January, 1789, 30°.
Here we may remark, that altho the meen heet of New England, in the
summer munths, approaches within seven, eight, or nine degrees of that
in Charleston, yet in winter, it iz less than _half_ the heet at
Charleston; the meen degree in Boston being twenty five, and in
Charleston, fifty two.
The meen temperature in Charleston, for March, 1789, waz about sixty
one; and in Boston, for the same munth, a little less than thirty five,
which iz more than half. In Pensylvania, the same munth, the meen waz
forty.
So far az I am able to calculate on obzervations in my possession, I
find the aggregate quantity of heet in South Carolina, for a whole yeer,
iz to that in New England, az twenty to eleven; yet there are several
days almost every yeer, when the mercury in New England rizes higher at
noon than it ever does in Carolina at any time. This may be ascribed to
the superior length of the days in the northern latitudes.
The heet of the suthern latitude iz suppozed to produce fevers and other
fatal disorders which prevail in the Carolinas and Georgia. But heet iz
not very often pernicious, unless when operating upon a low, wet, marshy
surface of earth. All hilly countries are helthy; and the air of the
mountanous parts of Carolina, two or three hundred miles from the see,
iz in general salubrious. But the marsh-effluvia iz not the only cause
of diseese; bad water iz a cause that should be mentioned, and this
abounds in a flat country; whereas the water on hills and mountains iz
generally pure. In a great number of towns to the suthward of the
Delaware, and in some to the northward, the want of good water iz a
capital inconvenience.
On the whole, the climate of America iz az salubrious, az that of any
country in the same state of cultivation. The European naturalists,
with more spleen than knowlege, hav condemned the climate of America, az
unfavorable to animal growth and perfection; but if their ideas are
founded on facts, the facts must be taken from the naborhood of an
Indigo plantation. America, like all new countries, haz been expozed to
certain annual epidemic disorders; but wherever the surface of the erth
haz been, for a few yeers, cultivated, theze disorders hav ceesed to
rage. I am confident that Connecticut, the most cultivated state in the
union, iz now az helthy az the south of France. I am confident that the
inhabitants enjoy az general helth, and liv az long. Az to size, no part
of the world can boast of larger and more robust men than the northern
states. If I mistake not, the English estimate the meen hight of their
men to be _five feet, seven inches_; but I am confident the average
hight of the men in New England, iz not less than _five feet nine, or
ten inches_.
I could wish to ascertain the difference in the weight of the atmosphere
at Boston and Charleston; but hav no obzervations on the barometer from
the latter place. The difference between the weight at Boston and
Philadelphia, upon an average of thirty days, appeers to be very
trifling, altho at any given day or hour, it may be considerable.
There are some curious facts respecting the coast of North America,
which dezerve notis.
The Missisippi iz a river of great length, running from the high
northern latitudes, in neerly a south direction. It iz deep and rapid.
It resembles the Nile in Africa, particularly in making land where it iz
discharged into the ocean. By the most accurate obzervations of Mr.
Huchins and others, the distance from the Balize to New Orleans, iz
something more than two hundred miles, the whole of which iz land formed
by the discharge of the river. The Nile, in the time of Herodotus, had
formed considerable ilands, which were then inhabited. Theze ilands stil
exist, between the several channels by which that river iz discharged.
It iz probable, that by an accurate calculation of the desent of the
waters of the Missisippi, in certain places, taking into account the
most rapid and most moderate flow, and ascertaining the distance of the
mouth from the most northerly sources, we might find, to a tolerable
degree of accuracy, the elevation of the land at the sources of that
river, abuv the level of the ocean.
Perhaps it wil be found that the mountains and lands at the north west,
are much higher in America than in the north of Europe. Iz not this
probable from the hight of the Allegany, and the rapidity of the river
Missisippi? And would not the fact, if prooved, in conjunction with
other causes, which are wel known, fully account for the superior degree
of cold in America under the same parallels? It iz wel known that there
are no considerable mountains to the north eest of Great Britain, thro
Denmark, Sweden and Russia.
On the Atlantic shore of America, the Gulf Streem iz a curious
phenomenon. It iz however wel accounted for, on the suppozition that the
trade winds drive the waters of the ocean westward into the spacious
gulf of Mexico, where meeting the continent, they are forced between the
Bahama ilans and the coast of Florida, and take their direction along
the shore of the united states. Such an immense body of waters, flowing
at the rate of three miles an hour, must produce innumerable currents
neer the shore; for every point of land wil occasion an eddy, which wil
be in proportion to the extent of the point or cape from main coast.
Hence the variety of currents, in all directions, between the streem and
the American coast, which are obzerved by our seemen.
Theze currents and eddies, at the same time _produce_ and _add to_, the
points of land shooting into the ocean. The cape of Florida iz probably
produced between a vast eddy of waters in the Mexican gulf, and the
streem which flows between the shore and Bahamas. For theory indicates
that the principal body of water, carried along the Spanish main, or
between that and the West India ilans, must be forced to bend its course
on the Mexican shore, and by the coast of West Florida, be thrown into a
circular motion, so az to form a vast eddy to the suthward and westward
of Eest Florida. Where this iz met by the streem, a point of land must
necessarily be formed.
It iz not improbable that Cape Roman, Cape Fear, Cape Hatteras, and Cape
Cod, may be formed by similar currents, within the main Gulf Streem. A
considerable extent of land on the coast of Carolina and Georgia,
appeers to be made by the washing down of sand from the high country,
and the washing up of sand by the Atlantic, whoze surges almost
incessantly beet the shore. But this alone wil not account for the
extension of points of sand, ten, fifteen or twenty leegs into the
ocean.
It iz a fact that capes and promontories are more frequently harrassed
with tempests, lightning and thunder, than other parts of the shore or
continent. This haz been remarked of New York and Cape Hatteras. Can a
philosophical reezon be assigned for this phenomenon? Perhaps there may
be some attractiv power in land thus situated; and perhaps tempests are
generated by the agitation of the air, produced by a flux and reflux of
water, or a variety of opposit currents. A storm hangs over Cape
Hatteras, every day, for a considerable part of the yeer. I hav been
witness to the fact, for a number of days in succession. This
circumstance increeses the terror of navigating that coast; otherwize so
formidable to seemen for shoals and breakers.[166]
[166] I once passed the cape at _five_ or _six leegs_ from
the breakers, and found but seven fathoms of water.
In examining the harbors of North America, we find most of them prezent
a channel or entrance neerly at right angles with the shore. The
entrance into most of them iz between the points of west and north. The
entrance into Newport, iz the safest in America, and this iz almost the
only harbor in the united states which can be made with a northwesterly
wind. This circumstance iz highly favorable to ships coming upon the
coast in winter. This harbor iz capacious enough to admit all the navees
in Europe, and, if defensible, may be the proper Portsmouth of America.
No. XXVIII.
_The following iz part of an "Essay on the Dets of the United States,"
written in 1787, but never before published. The question haz been ably
discussed in Congress, and the proposition for a discrimination between
original and purchasing holders of certificates, which I had started,
without the prospect of support, haz been maintained by very powerful
arguments in our federal legislature. Az the question now appeers to my
mind, I should vote against the proposition, yet merely on the ground
that from the manner in which the certificates were issued, it iz
impossible to discriminate, without multiplying the instances of
hardship and injustice. But I hav no more dout, that legislatures hav a
right to interfere, in certain extreme cases, and suspend or counteract
the operation of legal principles, than I hav of any reveeled truth or
intuitiv proposition; and were it possible to ascertain the original
holders of certificates, I conceev our legislators could not hav
neglected a provision for their losses, without violating their oaths,
the constitution and public faith. The following extract iz published,
because I am desirous my opinion on this subject should be known and
recorded._