to fall, and continues on the ground until about the 16th of April following, which two months, as I have stated in page 254, are the most unpleasant for travellers. During this period, the cold is intense, the general range of the thermometer being from 10 above, to 30 degrees below Zero. In the Upper Province, particularly in the Western parts, the winter seldom sets in till the middle of December, and the snow usually disappears about the latter end of March. The difference in climate between the two Provinces is, however, much greater in the duration than in the degree of heat or cold. In Upper Canada, the summers are longer and equally as hot as those of the Sister Province; but the winters, though shorter, are nearly as severe in proportion to their continuance.

The cold of winter, however severe, produces no unfavourable effects on the human constitution, except such as may be avoided by a little care; but a variety of diseases are often engendered in the Upper Province by the oppressive heat of Summer, which annually lay a great portion of the inhabitants prostrate on the bed of sickness for many months. Notwithstanding this, I do not think the climate is a very unfavourable one. Diseases of a contagious and dangerous description, are little known in the country; and, I believe, few persons object to either Province on account of its climate. It cannot be denied, that many fatal consequences result from the sharp frosts; but I really think, that nine out of ten of those

persons who are dangerously frozen, have only to impute their misfortune to their own imprudence or inattention. If a man becomes so much intoxicated at a tavern, as on his return home to be compelled to lie down and fall asleep by the way, he cannot, with any propriety, attribute the loss of his legs or arms to the severity of the climate. It is true, that individuals are frequently frozen while soberly pursuing their lawful avocations; but I have seldom seen people of this description materially injured.

There is, however, a young man now sitting by me, who, during the late winter, suffered most acutely from the intensity of the frost. Having been commissioned by the sub-sheriff of the Home district to summon some persons resident in the new townships North of York, he proceeded on foot to accomplish his mission. Being an English emigrant and having resided only a short time in Canada, he was not well acquainted with the woods, and missed his way in the early part of the afternoon of the day upon which he commenced the journey. He wandered about the forest until the approach of night, without being able to regain the path; and finding his feet excessively cold, he sat down upon a log, took off his shoes and stockings, and by rubbing his feet with snow, soon restored the blood to its accustomed circulation. As the shoes and stockings were wet when he took them off, they became so completely frozen that he could not put them on again. Knowing it to

be impossible for him to walk without some covering for his limbs, he perceived his only alternative was to take off his yest, and by tearing it in pieces to convert it into wrappers for his feet. This contrivance answered very well for an hour or two, after which the cloth wore away so fast, that he was reduced to the dreadful necessity of traversing the snow-mantled wilderness with feet uncovered. It is scarcely necessary to say, that, when unprotected by covering of any sort, they became almost instantaneously frozen. After having wandered about the woods all night, he met a man in the morning who took him to a settlement, and who unfortunately recommended him to put his feet into water, in order to expel the frost. He tried this expedient, the most dreadful and mistaken one to which he could have possibly resorted. It produced such excruciating pain, that he soon fell into a swoon, from which he did not perfectly recover for eight and forty hours; at the expiration of that time, a mortification had taken place, which terminated in the loss of both his feet.†

Warm

To shew the real difference of climate in the two Provinces, I append to these remarks the following COMPARATIVE VIEW, being the substance of two Meteorological Journals for twelve months; the one kept in Upper Canada, lat. 42 deg., and the other in Lower Canada, lat. 45 deg.

spring

Hoot When any part of the body is attacked with frost, cold 1 water, or snow is the only remedy which can only remedy which can be applied, with any vin misra

prospect of su success.

VOL. I.

Below Zero.