The two sides of the Sierra exhibit two
distinct climates. The state of vegetation,
in connection with some themnmrtrira! ob
servations wade during the recent exploring
expedition to California, will establish and
illustrate this (inference. In the beginning
of Deeeniber, IS-1.", we crossed. this Siena,
at latitude 3'J0 17' 1- ', nt the present usual
emigrant pass, at the head of the Salmon
Trout river, d) miles northof New Helvetia,
and made observations at each base, and in
the same latitude, to determine the respec
tive temperatures; the two bases being, re
spectively, the western about 51)0, and the
eastern about 4,0(10 feet above Ihe level of
the sea; and the 1'ass, 7,200 feet. The
eastern side at sunrise, 'J0; at noon -l l0; at
sunset 300: the state of the vegetation and
the appearance of the country being at the
same time (second week of December) that
of confirmed winter; the rivers froen over,
snow on the ridges, annual plants dead,
grass dry, and deciduitis trees stripped of
their foliage. At the iccstrrn base, the
mean temperature during a corresponding
iiauiLr tt'As. at miLriia MU. nml al Kiniriul Ti)0
: . . '
..i..,. i.i .i. .r. . -n .u.
puiii.s iii oiiin.ii, inc tin mm, uini nil rue
sli earns free from ice. Thus December on,
one side of the mountain, was winter; on
(he other, it was spring.
THE GREAT IMSIS.
Kast of the Sierra Nevada, nml belwecn
it n...i 1! nk ......(,.;... ;. ii.i.
n uii'i mi. i''i.nj iiiuiiiiiu'ii.-, i.. uini niiuiiia-
Inns feature in our enmity
sj"' ,,,.,n "'" l,icrVivw,irdi
? a lheo7"1ft" l,e "rC""'1 "I"" l.'l.on, and
is now (.-smoiisiii u as u Si-ogiiipiiicni
fact.
