On many of the Branches of Hudson's River, &- near Albany on Hudson's river it self, there is a kind of soil made by the Rivers & extends about half a mile in breadth along the Rivers. This being made by the soil, which the Rivers let fall is exceed-

Minerals.

Nature of the soil.

PROVINCE OF NEW YORK. 175

ing rich, yields large crops of the best Wheat, and the repeated - overflowings of the Rivers keeps it always in strenth.

The Soil of the Mohawks Country is in general much richer & stronger, than that of the moreSouthern parts of the Province & exceeds any soil that I ever saw in any part of America. I am told, the same kind of soil extends through the countries of the Oneydoes, Onondagas, Cayugas, & Senekas. This soil, I am persuaded, will produce any thing, that can be produced in a Climate where the Winters are very cold.

The Climate of the Province of New York, confining it to

the present christian Settlements, extends from: the ~ Ginae * "° 40% degree and 30 mint. of Latitude to the 43¢

degree & 30 minutes. It is much colder in Winter than those parts of Europe, which ly under the same parallels of Latitude, The Alerations in the Thermometer, are very considerable, as great perhaps as in any part of the world: but the changes in the Barometer are not so great, the Mercury seldom descending so low as in Brittain. The changes of Heat & Cold pass through all the degrees of the Thermometer. I have observ'd the Cold so great, that the Spirit in Patrick's Thermometer, which is fixed to his portable Barometer, descended the space of 84 Gradations below all the Graduations marked on the Thermometer: at the same time, the Spirit in my Florentine Thermometer was included intirely within the Ball: But so great a degree of Cold happens seldom.