136 Earliest Knowledge of Gold and Silver. 



The season was not particularly cold, but was the Wettest in 

 my recollection. 



1830. — Opened with a severe frost till February, followed by 

 a warm dry March, without a storm or a shower. April 1st, a 

 fall of snow till noon, whilst a swallow was seen flying about at 

 Trevereux. 



1831 .-^On the 6th of May occurred a most severe frost, the 

 young shoots and leaves of the oak and ash were destroyed, 

 fruit-trees of all sorts were greatly injured, and even the grass 

 was checked to such a degree, that it never recovered from its 

 effects. 



Ice was nearly half an inch thick on the ponds on the com- 

 mon. 



A severe frost, but inferior to the last described in its effects, 

 occurred on the night of the 28th May 1818. 



Earliest Knowledge of Gold and Silver. — Hesiod. — Scandina- 

 vian Museum. — The Paty^iarchs. — The Bool: of Job. — Accu- 

 mutation of Wealth with the Hebrew Nation. — Accumnlations 

 in Syria and Persia ; in Greece ; in Rome. 



In the earliest stages of society, so many and such great diffi- 

 culties were opposed to the use of all metallic substances, that 

 the discovery and application of them to the purposes of social 

 life must have been slow and gradual. 



The most ancient records of our race, the Sacred Writings, 

 as well as the works of the earliest profane authors, have, how- 

 ever, communicated such intimations of the knowledge and 

 adaptation of the more precious metals to the use of mankind, 

 as tends to excite curiosity and to attract attention to the sub- 

 ject. 



The general voice of antiquity affirms, that gold, silver, and 

 copper, or brass (aes), were the first metals discovered-; and 

 that they were used partly as ornaments, and partly as instru- 

 ments of war or of industry ; for though, from their softness, 

 they were not the best calculated for the latter purposes, they 

 were better adapted to them than those implements of flint or 

 other hard stones or hard wood, which had been before used by 



