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Show !50 'J5MIGRANT'S GUIDE. coun t ry. Irl general ' snow falls sooner, and re·m aidn s 1l·o n· ger ons the round in the basin of Ohio, than on the. Atlanttc ec 1 v1ty. ome g articular spots in the deep valleys of Oh~o, and s_o~e other streams, ~re exceptions to this rule, but their a~ea IS very lumted, when com-l) ared with the entire extent of t~e basm. . . 'fhe following summary con tams t.he leadm~ . facts fr~m wht~h the foregoing conclusions are drawn, w1lh authorthes referred tom the margm. . . . fl ) f In 179G, Mississippi and Ohw, ( w1th theu con uents rozen, to their junction.*· .,. · · h In the same year, in December, mercury, at C mcmnatt, t rcc mornings in succe sian, down at 14°~ 12° •. and 1°, below O.t . The 1\1 Lsissippi passable on the Ice wtth horses ami carnages be-fore the 20th December, l802-3-4.t . . Hivers are influenced greatly in their congelatiOn by the1~ course.s, and the climates from whence their waters are drawn.. !h.'s I~ay m !ome measure account for the early freezing of the Mtsstsstppt ; but the followinO' is an instance of tbe congelation of that stream, that could only a~ise from an excessive frost at the place: . In the winter of 1808-9, the Mississippi at Genev1eve frozen solid in one night, so as to bear ~orses and _carria~~s next day.§ . Tbe extreme differ nee m the penous ot tnflorescence and foliage of plants found to exist in a short qistance.ll Rye h~rvest commenced 6th of July, on the Great Kenhawa at the mouth of Elk.,T Wheat harvest at Monticello and Kaskaskia, began on the same day. July lst. Rye harvest began at Cincinnati on the 4th, and that of wheat OR the 1Oth .T ul y ~-X: Woods leafie c.::, October 26th. tt + January Stb, 1797, mercury fell at Ci~cinnati, 18° ~elow z;ro.t+ 1 Deep and durable snows upon the Ohw table land from 40 to 12 north latitude.§§ . . f In adJition to these fact~, tbe reader is referred to the descnphon o the physical construction of the Ohio and Mississippi basins, and the adjacent regious. . . f Respecting the relative heat of the interior and mant1me parts 0 this continent, few words are sufiicient. Upon the latter, a sea breeze has a tendency to mitigate tbe violence of summer heat, an auvantage that it but little enjoyed in the former. Environed on tw~ siJes by mountains, and cut into deep valleys, where the heat ca~ ac cuniUlate and reverberate, it often becomes oppressive, and contw~t so, many days in SUCCf'SSion. In the year 1793, near three mr lS passed away without rain, August, September, and October. ong * Author of this treatise.-Dr. Drake, page 97. , . . 8 e 236. t Drake's Cincinnati, page 119. t Stoddard .s LoUis.tana, P g § William Rector, Esft. as quoted in Dt·ake 's Cincinnati, yage 121' ~otcd 167. fl Ib. page 88. ~Volney, Paris edition, page 157; 1b. page 15 800 ')tit Drake's Cincinnati, page 89. tt Ib. pa~e • tt Winthrop Sa1·geant, Esq. as (]Uoted by Dr. Drake, page 94. 9~ Drake, page 106. BMIGRANT'S GU.lDE. droughts are frequent, as indeed are incessant rains. The various sea:ons differ extremely from each other: 1794, was as remarkable for reiterated rains, as tbe preceding year was for its dryness. The months of September, October, N overnber, and December, of the year 17f)4, was a period of almost continued rain. Some persons of observation have contended that as the countries in the interior becomes cleared of timber, that the climate will become more uniform. Such an anticipation is not warrauted by the phenomena observable in places already and for ages denuded of tim" her. In no region of the world can the seasons be more uncertain than in the prairies of Louisiana from one extremity to another. No changes, particul arly from heat to cold, is more sudden or more viol~' nt , or where the quantity of rains, or the period of their occurrence differs more in two successive years. The presence of some peculiar vegetables have been aclrluced as marks of climate ; it has been shown how uncertain are all data flrawn from sucli a source. The presence or absence of animals are ~till less satisfactory. We have dwcl t upon this subject the more from a conviction how much it had hitherto been misunderstood. · As respects the influence of the seasons of the Ohio basin upon emigrants, we refer to the general observations made upon the same subject, when speaking of the regions near the mouth of the Mississippi and Mobile rivers. Though essentiaJ difference does exist between the two regions in the quantum and distribution of heat and colu, yet very nearly similar precaut ion and choice of se:Json for remo ...· al ought to be taken for very place west of the Aleghany mountains, at least !lOuth of Muskingum. . The greatest inconvenience attending this vast country is the extreme dilference between the maximum of heat and cold; it is an inconvenience that may be prudently obviated in a great measure. This su bject wiiJ however come more appropriately into the last chapter of this treatise, to which the reader is referred. ' So much an a)oO'y prevails in the general productions and stap1es of Indiana and Ohio, that littJe could be added respecting those objects afforded by the latter, that has not beeu noticed under the head of the. former. For some additional articles respecting Indiana and Oh1o, see appendix. WEST PENNSYL V A1 Tf.A, AND \VEST VIRGINIA. _Un~er this gene r·~ ] name is here meant that part of these two states lymg 10 the Ohio bJ in. In r.omtntJn Jangu ~'~ge, all the region west f the Aleghany mountains inclusive, hn received the term of tbc '' "Yestern Country,'' relative to lhe Atlantic declivity. It is certnin-y lllcorrect to include umkr ~ uch an appell ation, considerable extent Watered by river;'; that llow into the Atlantic ocean. T 1'hP tract in qu('stion reaches !'rom the north border of the state of . enuessee, to the south bord er of th" slat 0 · New· York 460 miles ~~~eng1.h ; its medial width nearly 0, but in ''o rne pl~ce; exceeding mdcs. The area of this region amounts to 43,~68 S<.J.uare |