176 EXPERIMENTS ON FREEZING. [December, 



mitted to experiment was six drachms, distilled ; and as 

 the perfection of the balance could not be carried on 

 in an atmosphere of 17 "5, the preparatory measures 

 were conducted below. A kind of screened cabin was 

 erected on deck for experimental purposes ; the tempera- 

 ture of the water below = 56. 



Time Oh. 26m., exposed to 17. 



Oh. 31m. = 5 minutes, frozen, copious vapour. 

 Oh. 41m. = 15 minutes, hard, opaque, and raised. 

 The loss of weight = 5'725 grains. Left until noon following: no 

 change. The same on salt water afforded 5'0 grains loss; frozen in 5 

 minutes, opaque in 7 minutes. 



During the crystallization of the fresh water the effect 

 was very beautiful : first, the smoky lambent vapour, 

 and then the shadows of the first shooting of the crystals, 

 which were exhibited by a very powerful transmitted 

 light, followed by the arborescence, until succeeded by 

 the dull glare of solidity. Even then I could scarcely 

 fancy it frozen, until it commenced the change to rnilki- 

 ness, and eventually, on rising in the centre, became 

 quite opaque. I am afraid I shall not coax any of my 

 fair readers to visit rnc, to participate in such experi- 

 ments. 



My next experiment was on a silk handkerchief, I 

 am not ashamed to say, belonging to one of the Banner 

 ladies ; it may yet be claimed, and passed as an heir- 

 loom. This, being like its owner a delicate piece of 

 workmanship, was well adapted to the purpose, as may 

 be perceived from the weight. Weighed beforehand, it 

 appeared without fault, but it must go through the fire. 

 Its first weight was 7 drachms 9 grains, but after severe 

 drying, unfolding, airing, and redrying, it had lost 36'5 



