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Show 58 CLll\UTE o»' '\VESTIUiN O.ItEGdN• ble that this practice will soon become extinct,. if .not (l'Om the abandonmcn t of the cu~tom, at least from the e.x:tmct10a o( the race. . . , In the climate of Western Oregon, we find one of the prmctpar advantages which this cmJ'ntry, together with th~· whole ~estero coast of the Continent, possesses ovet· those portwns laymg East of the great mountain range, which, extending from within .the' Arctic circle·, alona the whole extent of No·rth and South Amertea, ~0 Cape Horn·, divides the Continent into two Grand Divi~ion~, different, not oBly in their geographical features, but also m chmate and vegetation. The climate of Western Oregon is milder by several degrees, than it is between the same parallels of lat1 tude in the States. Snow seldom falls in the Valleys South of the Columbia, and during our stay at tho Falls of the Willammet.te, which embraced two Winter seasons, there were only two fall·s of snow ;• (with equal and perhaps ,gt·eater propriety, we . might c·~n that portion of the year included between tbe first or middle. of November, and the last of Mard:, the rainy season;) the first of these· snows was six or eight incbe·s deep, and remained upon the ~round about three· days; the second, which continued to fall at intertals·, during a week, passeJ away almost aS' fast as it fell, never conceal" ing, entirely, the surface of the ground. Dutriog the period of our' stay, we never saw ice on any of the streams of water; yet, it has been slated that since the location of the Hudson'61 Bay Com· pany at Fort Vancouver, tha Columbia River has been twice closed over at that plu:ce. If this be a fact, it must be owing,. in a grea·~ measure, to the circumstance that the Colun'lbia has its sources i·n, fa1· Northern latitudes, and in high mountainous regions. On the' Willammette which flows from the South, such congelation has· never been known. We were informed by persons, long resident in the country, that rains were very frequent through the Winter' Ol' rainJ season, but that great quantities seldom fell in short times. During the first Winter we were in the country, there were several weeks together, of fine, clear, and most delightful weather, and· besides this, several other shorter periods of cessation ; but during the second, it rained almost constantly, yet ~o light were these~ rains, generally, that in order to couvey correct Idea~, propriety would seem to demand ~orne other term to dersignate tfwm. Taking. the two season~ together, wnich we experienced there, we doubt. whether a greater quantity of wate1· fell than falls genetally in the same length of time, during the same months in the States.-· • CL!M.A.TE OF W1!STERN OREGON. .59 Many have expressed objections to the climate, on ac~ount of the rainy seasons, and it cannot be denied that they frequently rendet· it quite disagreeable and gloomy, especially to those who have just emigrated to the country. Yet most persons do their accustomed business at this season, whether it be in or out of doors, without seeming to experience any great inconvenience, or suffering detriment to their health. Southet·n winds prevail in tne Willammette VaHey, at t_his season, and when they change to the North they are usually ~ucceedcd by fine, clear weather. At the same time, however, they prevail from the East or change to the \iV est on the Columbia, showing their course is effected very much, by the hills nnd mountains. The clouds float luw in the Winter, and frequently huge masses of them, as if influenced by attraction, cling to the !ides of the hills and mountains, until us they move along, they are torn by the tops of the tall Firs. We saw once us we were laying becalmed on the Columbia, in the dusk or the evening, the clouds descend ft·om the mountain ravines, and settle down, for awhile, so near the surface of the broad rive!', that the Islands with which it was there interspersed, aod portions of the noighboring shores which were covet·ed with groups of tall tt·ees, pen<:>trated with their tops, above the cloud. Their seeming to be much elevated, togeth· er with the regularity of the upper surface of the clomJ, awakened the ide~:J, of a beautiful little Archipelago, with all its Islands, float· ing in the air. Tho gl'ass is green and growing throughout the Winter, and cattle and other animals keep in good condition, without any attention or feeding whatever, and we have frequently eaten excellent beef, killed f1·om the grass at this season. In the Summer, the1•e is probably not so much rain, as in the United States; but it is entirely sufficient to perfect the crops of gl'Uin, which, except Indian Corn, are more abundant, and surer, than in the United States. The temperature at this season, is near the the same that it is in the Eame latitude East of the Mountains, except the nights, which are quite cool during the wholo year; so that a person may sleep in mid summer, comfortably under a pair of blankets. 'rhese cool nights are doubtlcs injurious to the growth of Indian Corn, which does not flourish and produce abundantly in this country. The &l<y, through the Summer, is usually clea1·, and on the plains, a gentle breeze is generally blowing from the sea; which rendet•s the Summet·s remarkatly agreeable and healthy. .'I'lw natur:tl vegetation of tho country, is all of a giant ~rowth. We have Rpoken of the Fir's attaining to tho ' I |