110 Dr Richardson on the Frozen Soil of North America. 



arts of the people they had conquered. A new power arose 

 in Italy, and by its influence again she became pre-eminent in 

 Europe, and we know to what illustrious perfection the fine 

 arts again attained. 



In our sale-rooms we see sold every winter many cracked 

 and dingy daubs, and with these before him, the auctioneer 

 rings the changes on some half-dozen names, as if the Italian 

 school could boast no more ; but a host of artists attest the 

 fertility of Italy in the production of men of talent ; and in 

 Lanzi's dictionary, 1000 names will be found before the reader 

 reaches the middle of the letter D in the index. 



I have imperfectly described to you some of the arts which 

 the Italian has inherited. I shall close this paper by observ- 

 ing that, whatever public work is undertaken in Italy — where- 

 ever improvement is contemplated, even although it should 

 not be extensive, it is justly thought that the assistance and 

 advice of the artist, whose taste and judgment have been cul- 

 tivated, ought to be secured, and there is no practice in its 

 full extent more worthy of our imitation. * 



On the Frozen Soil of North America. By John Richardson, 

 M.D., F.R.S., &c. Inspector of Naval Hospitals. Commu- 

 nicated by the Author.t 



At the meeting of the British Association held at Edinburgh 

 in the year 1834, M. Arago addressed the Committee of Re- 

 commendations on the necessity of more extensive and sys- 

 tematic observations on the temperature of the earth. In the 

 course of the discussion which ensued, I mentioned the ad- 

 vantages of correct measurements of the depth of permanently 

 frozen soil in the northern parts of America, and at the sug- 

 gestion of the members then present, undertook to apply per- 

 sonally to the Governor and Committee of the Hudson's Bay 

 Company, requesting that they would give directions for mak- 



* Mr Wilson exhibited numerous specimens of mosaic, pietra dura, ca- 

 meos of different ages in pietra dura, and specimens of shell cameos ; also 

 of Genoese and Venetian jewellery, Venetian glass, and ruby glass, together 

 with numerous prints and drawings. 



t Read before the Wernerian Society, Dec. 12. 1840. 



