Aspect—Climate—Meteorology.
The prevailing aspect of the country presents itself with continuous undulations, formed by the numerous cuchillas or ridges of hills, which shoot in all directions.
The hills are covered with rich pasture grounds.
Trees of all kinds stand along the banks of the principal rivers and rivulets which flow, winding about, over great extensions of land, and water the fertile meadows, forming, under a quiet and generally clear sky, a charming landscape all over, which invites to employ usefully such manifold natural riches that have just begun, being cultivated and worked in a vast scale and with fruitful results.
Although it is not a mountainous country, its highlands are numerous. The principal heights are the hills of Santa Ana, 490 m.; the hills of Hædo, 400 m.; the Cuchilla Grande (high hills), 458 m. To all these hills join a great many others less high, the declivity of which form the lakes, ponds and rivers that give a great variety to the hydrography of the country.
The climate all over the Republic is mild and notably healthy; there exist no malignous, endemical disease whatever. Neither the cold nor the heat is excessive.
The middle temperature may be calculated to be, in winter-time of 11 degrees, in spring-time of 17 degrees, in summer of 21 degrees, and in autumn of 16 degrees.
The maximum of heat in the month of January is 36°, and that of cold in the month of July is 3° above naught.
The climate is a little dryer in the interior than on the coast. Along the coasts watered by the salt waters of the great mouth of the river Plate, the climate is thoroughly a sea climate, and the seasons never get to any extreme.
Meteorological observations, made in Montevideo in the year 1843 and down to the year 1852 have given a middle term of 244 serene days, 85 cloudy days and 36 rainy days per annum.
The last observations made by the "Uruguay Meteorological Society" during the year 1891 have given the following results;
Atmospherical pressure, calculated in mm., reduced to 0, middle term, 760,572.
Temperature of the air, in the shade, centigrade degrees, middle term, 16,23; minimum, m. t. 12.77; maximum, m. t. 19.36.
Tension of the vapor, in mm., middle term, 10.98.
Relative humidity (saturation = 100), middle term, 77.29.
Inferior wind, prevailing direction N. N. E.; rapidity in meters by second, middle term, 3.81.
Rain, mm., total: 711.8.
Winter is so mild in this country that, in fact, the year may be divided into two seasons—the hot season, from November till April, and the cool season, from May till October.
Whatever may be the geographical situation of his own country the foreigner does not need any previous acclimation; when he comes to live in this Republic he does not feel any disorder in his health, owing to the mildness of the temperature.
The most ordinary winds are the N., N. E., E, and S. W. winds. This last one, called Pampero, is pure and vivifying and is rightly considered as the purifier of the Plate, and one of the principal causes of the wholesomeness which the country enjoys.