The low country is seldom covered with snow ; but the mountains near the western boundary of the state arc often mantled in that wintry lobe. Frost sometimes binds up the earth, but seldom penetrates deeper titan two inches, or lasts above three ur four days. These transient frosts are succeeded by weather so mild, as to render fires unnecessary in the middle of the day. Such sudden and frequent changes affect the feelings and health of the inhabitants much inure than equal or greater degrees of cold can (I() in countries where the climate is more steady, and the transitions more gradual. In Fe bruary the weather is particularly variable. When a clear warm day has called forth vegetation, and inspired the hopes of an early spring, a north-west wind suddenly arises, accompanied w ith frost, and blasts the pleasing expectations. In this month rains are frequent. The planting season begins in March and April, and continues till June. In July and August, when the heats arc most severe, heavy rains set in, accompanied frequently with violent storms of tnunder and ligntning. 'Fliese thunder storms are said to he much less frequent and injurious now than they were about nalf a century ago. Yet dur ing the summer, there arc few nights in which lightning is not visible in sonic part of the horizon. The fury of toe storm is generally spent on the lofty trees with which tne country is covered ; but the ligiitning some times does considerable damage to ships in the harbours, and is not unfrequently attended with showers of hail, so large as to break down the crops in the fields, and to shiver windows of glass. In September, which is the principal harvest month. storms of rain are frequent, and are sometimes accompanied by hurricanes, wnich prove extremely destructive.
The hygrometer in Charleston shews an almost con stant humidity in the air. For seven years previous to 1809, it had not marked more th„n 21 dry days in any one year ; and the average of the whole seven years was less than 16 dry days for each. The sari thm of the ba rometer is inconsiderable. It genetilly siaods between 3e° and 31°, hut has been as low as 29D 7'. and as high as 31° 8'. The medium temperatu •e of well water in eston is C5'. twelve degrees bore that of well wa ter in Pim. (Hp slat. By the ohs( rvations of the medical suck iv in Chat ston I r t(-11 from 1797 to 18.'70 t, . .r lamity of ram hi a y ear was found to be 49.3 inc. es. Tile great( st quantity in any ( ne of these y ears was 83..t ;nches, and the st iallest quantity was 38.6.
'e gr( 1tt st quruitity in any one month of these ten ve_rs was 12.9 s.
The climate of South Carolina is generally regarded as au opinion which is neither strictly true, not entirely false. A great proportion of the state.
particularly of the low country, is for the most part inun dated ; and from its sluggish rivers, stagnant swamps, ponds, and marshes, which are perpetually generating putrefaction, the seeds of febrile diseases are widely and profusely disseminated, particularly between the months ofJune and November. The sea shore and islands, and
the ridges of land between the rivers, extending from 10 to 40, sometimes 50 miles, are for the most part salubri ous. Beyond the swamps, which terminate about 120 miles from the ocean, the blessings of health are gene rally enjoyed, except on the margins of the rivers, and in the vicinity of ponds and mill dams. The districts of the upper country enjoy as salubrious a climate as any part of the United States.
The low country of South Carolina is infested with all the diseases which spring from a warm, moist, and un elastic atmosphere. Of these, the most frequent are fevers, from which the inhabitants of Carolina suffer more than from any, or perhaps than from all other dis eases together. In their mildest aspect they appear as intermittents ; in their next degree they are bilious re mittents ; and, in their highest degree, and under parti cular circumstances, they are converted into yellow fe ver. That dreadful distemper has made frequent rava ges in Charleston. From the year 1700 to 1748, it ra ged at five different periods in that town, and numbers perished by its attacks. For 44 years after that period, there was no epidemic visitation of it, though it appear ed in different summers in a few sporadic cases. A new 1.a of this fever commenced in the year 1792. It raged in Charleston in that year, and in 1794, 1795, 1796, 1797, 1799, 1800, 1801, 1802, 1804, and 1807. The number of its victims in its worst years, were, in 1799, 239 ; in 1800,184 ; in 1802, 96 ; in 1804, 148 ; in 1807, 162 ; in the year 1793, 98. In 1808 it is not mentioned at all. In 1803 and 1805 it appeared slightly : in both years its victims did not exceed 69. In 1806, it is mentioned as having occurred in a very few cases under particular cir cumstances. In its visitations it extended from July to November, but was most ripe in August and Septem ber. With a very few exceptions, chiefly children, it fell exclusively on strangers. Unseasoned negroes were not safe from its attacks, but they escaped oftener than other strangers. 1Vhen attacked, they had the disease in a slighter degree, and, with proper treatment, were more generally cured. The sariable weather of Caroli na often produces inflammatory affections of the throat. A disease of that organ, accompanied with the scarlet fever, frequently recurs, but is seldom fatal. '2%Ieasles, influenza, hooping cough, and small-pox, are the other epidemic diseases of South Carolina. The practice of vaccination was introduced into Charleston by Dr Ram say in 1802 ; and we are happy to have his authority for stating, that, among many thousands who have been ino culated, no instance has yet occurred of a clearly marked small-pox following a clearly marked case of vaccina tion.