measure sheltered from the rain-bearing winds, probably is the only extensive area of land which the climate would permit to be profitably cultivated on the northern part of the coast, NEW WESTMINSTER DISTRICT. Returning southerly along the mainland coast, a similar excessive humidity prevails until it is lessened by the shelter afforded by Vancouver Island. It is still, however, considerable, owing to the mountainous character of the mainland shore. Dr. Charles Forbes, in his essay above mentioned, says:—— "The whole northern and western sea face of British Columbia as far south as Howe Sound, is a rugged mass of plutonic, trappean, and quartzose rocks, with associated semi-crystalline limestones. Cut up by numerous inlets and arms of the sea, it needs no protection against the winds and waves, but sends out its adamantine promontories to meet them." Far different, however, as above said, is the coast line of the southwestern section of the mainland, say from Howe Sound, or Burrard Inlet, southward. Stretching in a semi-circle, the convexity of which touches the foot-hills of the Cascade range above Chilliwhack on the Fraser, and reaching south, past Bellingham Bay into the United States, is a low, almost flat territory-a deposit of loose friable sandstones and alluvium--along which the Fraser, after boiling through a narrow gorge at Yale, cuts its way, leaving (particularly on its south side) a large area of very fertile land, known as the New Westminster District, which now is the most important agricultural settlement in the province. The climate of this district, though more humid than the sheltered east coast of Vancouver Island, has not the excessive humidity of the west coast of that island (outside Fuca Strait), and of the mainland coast in general, for the following reasons:— (1.) The district is sheltered, considerably, from the moisturebearing winds by Vancouver Island and the mountains south of the Strait of Fuca. (2.) The surface is little above the sea level; there is no high coast line on which these winds strike and precipitate excessive moisture, as is the case on the mainland coast to the northward. (3.) The hills on which they first strike after crossing the New Westminster district, are comparatively low, foot-hills of the Cascade range. These, consequently, as they only increase gradually in height towards the axis of that range, do not cause the sudden excessive precipitation in any part of the district that would result if the moisture-bearing winds struck an Alpine barrier, ABSTRACT OF METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, TAKEN AT THE ROYAL ENGINEER CAMP, NEW WESTMINSTER, DURING THE YEAR 1861, BY ORDER OF COL. R. C. MOODY, R. E., COMMANDING THE TROOPS. Latitude, 49° 12′ 47′′ North; Longitude, 122° 53′ 19′′ West. INCHES. The highest reading of the Barometer, corrected for temperature, at 9.30 a.m., on 4th February, was.... 30.565 The mean height do. do. 9.30 a.m. 4th Feb. 29.943 Do. do. do. 3.30 p.m. 29.888 9.30 a.m. 3rd Dec. 29.172 DEGREES. Maximum temperature of Air in shade, at 9.30 a.m. on 9th July, 1861 74.3 3.30 p.m. 84.0 9.30 a.m. 48.8 The cistern of the Barometer is about 54 feet above the level of the sea. All the Observations were made at 9.30 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. daily throughout the year. There were several frosty nights in April, one on the 20th May, and they recommenced on the 20th October. Thunder and lightning on the 27th May, and 5th, 21st, 22nd, and 29th August. During the months of June, July, August, and September, the amount of Ozone was inconsiderable. On the 10th July the test paper gave no indication of its presence. The mean daily amount for the year would be indicated by 5 on the scale. TABLE Showing the depth of rain, the number of days on which it fell, the mean humidity, and mean temperature of the air, at 9.30 a.m., and 3.30 p.m., and the lowest temperature on the grass in each month. Rain fell on 12 days when the wind was S., 5 when S. W., 9 when W., 1 when N.W., 14 when N.E., 6 when E., 26 when S. E., and 32 when calm. The greatest fall of rain in 24 hours measured 2.150 inches on the 4th Nov. The average fall for every day of the year was 0.166 inches. The average fall for each wet day was 0.369 inches. A comparison of this abstract with that for the year 1860, shows that 6.055 inches more rain fell in 1861 than in 1860. Rain fell on 13 more days in 1861 than in 1860. The mean height of the Barometer was .070 less. The mean amount of humidity was .008 greater, The mean temperature of air in shade was 5.1 greater. The absolute limiting nights of frost were nearly at the same date in both years. In the four winter months, from January to March, and October to December, 41.230 inches of rain fell in 1861, and 40.586 inches in 1860. In the remaining months 19.255 inches fell in 1861, and 13.834 in 1860. Of the entire quantity of rain 26 inches fell in January, November, and December, in each year. The prevailing direction of the wind during rain in both years was E. and S.E. June was the driest month, and August the warmest in 1860. July was both warmest and driest in 1861. The Fraser River attained its highest level at New Westminster, for the year 1861, on the 8th June, and its lowest, being a difference of 9 feet 6 inches, on the 17th March; between the 10th of May and 10th of August, ships did not swing to the flood tide. These periods, and the difference of level, correspond very closely with the observations for 1859 and 1860. There was floating ice in the Fraser opposite New Westminster, 7th January, 1861; it increased until 22nd January, and disappeared on the 2nd February. The navigation to the mouth of the river was not impeded. There was no ice in the Fraser, at New Westminster, in 1860. The Observations were taken by 2nd Corporal P. J. LEECH, and Lance Corporal J. CONROY, R. E. R. M. PARSONS, Captain R. E. Captain Peele of New Westminster city, a careful observer, furnishes the following abstract of climatic observations, in an appendix to the British Columbia Directory 1882-3. (R. T. Williams, Victoria, Publisher):— ABSTRACT OF OBSERVATIONS, DURING 6 YEARS, FROM 1874 TO 1879. Mean temperature Highest The rain-fall in the above table may be made the subject of a few remarks, as the whole north west coast of North America is humid, for reasons already stated. The average annual precipitation of moisture at the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon (U. S.), is stated to be 87.66 ins. At Sitka, 11 degrees of latitude farther north, it is known to be only 5 inches less, and the Sitka average is probably about the same as the average on the west coast of Vancouver and Queen Charlotte Islands, and on that part of the coast of the Province lying open to the westerly winds between these islands. This amount of precipitation, though small in comparison with that of a few exceptional places on the earth's surface, is greater than that characterizing even the western coasts of British Islands, with the exception of a few peculiarly situated mountainous localities, where it is exceeded, and it is little less than the heaviest rain-fall on the Norwegian coast (90 inches). In the district of New Westminster, however, owing to the facts above stated, the ordinary excessive humidity of the coast does not occur. The district has less rain-fall than occurs in any extensive arable area on the whole mainland coast of the North Pacific, north of California. It has less rain-fall than occurs on the west coast of Vancouver Island, though, owing to its continental situation, and greater proximity to high land in the way of the moisture-bearing winds, it has a greater annual rain-fall than occurs off the sheltered east-coast of that island. Notwithstanding this, however, the general climatic conditions of the New Westminster district, much resembling those of the east side of Vancouver Island, in most respects, are probably somewhat more favourable to the growth and ripening of a larger variety of cereals, owing to the greater sum of heat at the proper season. The summer temperature, it will be observed, is higher than in Vancouver Island, and it is not affected by the cold and chilling winds that occasionally blow over the southern portion of the island from the snowy peaks of the Olympian range. The winter is a little less open, and slightly longer, than in the district near Victoria; it more resembles the winter farther north along the east-coast of Vancouver Island. As upon the whole coast, there are occasionally severe winters, or what are called severe in this part of the world. Commonly, snow begins in January and goes in March, without falling or lying continuously. The British Columbian, a New Westminster newspaper, 5th January, 1882, says:-- "Our readers in the east will be surprised to learn that there has "been no ice on the Fraser river this winter. At no time have we "had more than two inches of snow, and that remained only a day or two. There is not a particle of frost in the ground and no snow "anywhere to be seen, except on the mountain ranges.” 66 The climate of the New Westminster district is not liable to sudden changes. It is exceedingly healthy. Ague is unknown. The following extracts are from the British Columbia Directory, 1882-83 (R. T. Williams, Victoria, Publisher), in which the reports are furnished by residents:- "The climate is mild and highly salubrious, greatly resembling "that of the south of England and the north-west departments of "France. It is happily exempt from those violent extremes which are so injurious to health in many localities. "The climate is almost the same as that of England, singularly "invigorating. People who hardly ever knew a day's health in other "parts of Canada have come out here and been able to work with "the strongest. There is no doctor in this settlement; there was one but he was starved out. "Owing to the mildness of the winter months, the waterfowl "remain during that season in this neighbourhood, and thus the "shooting is continuous from September till following March," CLIMATE OF THE INTERIOR. For the purposes of a more particular description, the climate of the interior of the mainland of the Province (already mentioned by some of the authorities quoted) may be divided into three zones--the Southern, Middle, and Northern--though the boundaries of these cannot be very well defined owing to the effect of the irregularity of the surface. The occurrence of high ranges has, of course, its ordieffect upon the climate of particular districts within these zones. nary CLIMATE OF INTERIOR. (SOUTHERN ZONE, SAY BETWEEN 49° AND 51 PARALLELS N. Lat.) The traveller, journeying from the coast district inland, via Yale' by the Cariboo waggon road, notices, on passing through the moun tains, indications of dryness, afforded by the change of the plants' The characteristic coast plants give place gradually, 30 or 40 miles above Yale, to those requiring less moisture. This is mainly caused by the effect, upon the atmosphere, of the massive range of mountains which follows, northward, the trend of the coast of the province. As has been already said, the air at the sea level is practically saturated with moisture. When the moisture is evaporated, or the air expanded in volume, a great quantity of heat is rendered "latent," becoming "sensible" again on condensation of the moisture or compression of the air. The pressure being less in the upper regions of the atmosphere than in the lower, the body of air rising from the sea level to the summit of the mountain range expands, and this, imply ing molecular work, results in an absorption of heat and consequent cooling. What has to be noticed in connection with the effect of the coast range upon the "interior" climate, is the fact that when the air descends again on the further side of the mountain range, its condensation leads to an increase of sensible heat, so that it becomes easy to understand how the lower country beyond may be flooded with warm air, though it has travelled over a region comparatively cold. The loss of heat by radiation and contact during the passage of the air across the mountainous region, is of course much greater in winter than in summer, and depends also on the speed of the air currents. The air also, in the interior, is drier, owing to the precipitation occurring at the mountain range. Accordingly we find, in the interior of the mainland of the province, a different climate from the coast climate. It varies with the irregular surface of the country, but may be described generally as a climate of extremes. The mean annual temperature of the Southern Zone differs little from that of the coast region, but a greater difference is observed between the mean summer and winter temperature, and a still greater contrast when the extremes of heat and cold are compared. The total precipitation of rain and melted snow in the low lying portions of the Southern Zone is extremely small--for instance, at Spence's Bridge on the Thompson river (760 feet above the sea, 50° 25′ N. L., 8.06° |