IV.

BOOK in different places more than one third above the Pike of Teneriffe, the highest land in the ancient hemifphere. The Andes may literally be faid to hide their heads in the clouds; the ftorms often roll, and the thunder burfts below their fummits, which, though exposed to the rays of the fun in the center of the torrid zone, are covered with everlasting fnows".

rivers,

lakes.

FROM these lofty mountains defcend rivers, proportionably large, with which the streams in the ancient continent are not to be compared, either for length of course, or the vast body of water which they roll towards the ocean. The Maragnon, the Orinoco, the Plata in South America, the Miffifippi and St. Laurence in North America, flow in fuch fpacious channels, that, long before they feel the influence of the tide, they resemble arms of the sea rather than rivers of fresh water.

THE lakes of the New World are no lefs confpicuous for grandeur than its mountains and rivers. There is nothing in other parts of the globe which resembles the prodigious chain of lakes in North America. They may properly be termed inland feas of fresh water; and even thofe of the second or third clafs in magnitude,

See NOTE I.

C See NOTE II.

are

HISTORY OF AMERICA.

IV.

are of larger circuit (the Cafpian fea excepted) BOOK than the greatest lake of the ancient continent,

When a

THE New World is of a form extremely favourable to commercial intercourfe. continent is formed, like Africa, of one vast folid mafs, unbroken by arms of the fea penetrating into its interior parts, with few large rivers, and those at a confiderable distance from each other, the greater part of it seems deftined to remain for ever uncivilized, and to be debarred from any active or enlarged communication with the rest of mankind. When, like Europe, a continent is opened by inlets of the ocean of great extent, fuch as the Mediterranean and Baltic; or when, like Afia, its coaft is broken by deep bays advancing far into the country, fuch as the Black Sea, the gulfs of Arabia, of Perfia, of Bengal, of Siam, and of Leotang; when the furrounding feas are filled with large and fertile iflands, and the continent itself watered with a variety of navigable rivers, those regions may be faid to poffefs whatever can facilitate the progrefs of their inhabitants in commerce and improvement. In all these respects America may bear a comparison with the other quarters of the globe. The gulf of Mexico, which flows in between North and South America, may be confidered as a Medi

5

IV.

BOOK terranean fea, which opens a maritime commerce with all the fertile countries by which it is encircled. The islands fcattered in it are inferior only to thofe in the Indian Archipelago, in number, in magnitude, and in value. As we ftretch along the northern divifion of the American hemifphere, the Bay of Chesapeak presents a spacious inlet, which conducts the navigator far into the interior parts of provinces no lefs fertile than extenfive; and if ever the progress of culture and population fhall mitigate the extreme rigour of the climate in the more northern diftricts of America, Hudfon's Bay may become as fubfervient to commercial intercourfe in that quarter of the globe, as the Baltic is in Europe. The other great portion of the New World is encompaffed on every fide by the fea, except one narrow neck, which feparates the Atlantic from the Pacific Ocean; and though it be not opened by spacious bays or arms of the fea, its interior parts are rendered acceffible by a number of large rivers, fed by fo many auxiliary ftreams, flowing in fuch various directions, that, almost without any aid from the hand of industry and art, an inland navigation may be carried on through all the provinces from the river De la Plata to the gulf of Paria. Nor is this bounty of Nature confined to the fouthern divifion of America; its northern continent

abounds

IV.

abounds no lefs in rivers which are navigable BOOK almoft to their fources, and by its immenfe chain of lakes provifion is made for an inland communication, more extenfive and commodious than in any quarter of the globe. The countries ftretching from the gulf of Darien on one fide, to that of California on the other, which form the chain that binds the two parts of the American continent together, are not deftitute of peculiar advantages. Their coaft on one fide is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, on the other by the Pacific. Some of their rivers flow into the former, fome into the latter, and secure to them all the commercial benefits that may refult from a communication with both.

ture of its

climate.

BUT what most diftinguishes America from Temperaother parts of the earth, is the peculiar temperature of its climate, and the different laws to which it is fubject with respect to the distribution of heat and cold. We cannot determine with precision the portion of heat felt in any part of the globe, merely by measuring its diftance from the equator. The climate of a country is affected, in fome degree, by its elevation above the fea, by the extent of continent, by the nature of the foil, the height of adjacent mountains, and many other circumftances. The influence of these, however, is, from various causes, lefs confider

BOOK able in the greater part of the ancient cont and from knowing the pofition of any co

Predominance of cold.

there, we can pronounce with greater cer what will be the warmth of its climate, ar nature of its productions.

THE maxims which are founded upo fervation of our hemifphere will not app the other. In the New World, cold pre nates. The rigour of the frigid zone ex over half of thofe regions, which fhould be perate by their pofition. Countries wher grape and the fig fhould ripen, are buried fnow one half of the year; and lands fit in the fame parallel with the most fertile beft cultivated provinces in Europe, are cl with perpetual frofts, which almoft deftro power of vegetation. As we advance to parts of America which lie in the fame pa with provinces of Afia and Africa, bleffed an uniform enjoyment of fuch genial wa as is most friendly to life and to vegetation dominion of cold continues to be felt, winter reigns, though during a fhort pe with extreme feverity. If we proceed along American continent into the torrid zone. fhall find the cold prevalent in the New W