376 Df. Franklin's Meteorological^ &c. 



Of courfe, their fummer effedl: in heating the 

 earth was exceedingly diminiflied. 



Hence the furface was early frozen. 



Hence the firft fnows remained on itunmelted, 

 and received continual additions. 



Hence the air was more chilled, and the winds 

 more feverely cold. 



Hence perhaps the winter of 1783-4, was 

 more fevere, than any that had happened for many 

 years. 



The caufe of this univerfal fog is not yet af-' 

 certained. Whether it was adventitious to this 

 earth, and merely a fmoke, proceeding from the 

 confumption by fire of fome of thofe great burn- 

 ing balls or globes which we happen to meet 

 with in our rapid courfe round the fun, and 

 which are fometimes feen to kindle and be de- 

 flroycd in paffing our atmofphere, and whofe 

 fqnoke might be atcrafted and retained by our 

 earth ; or whether it was the vaft quantity of 

 fmoke, long continuing to ilTue during the Sum- 

 mer from Hecla in Iceland, and that other vol- 

 cano which arofe out of the fea near that ifind, 

 which fmoke might be fpread by various ^v> ds, 

 over the northern part of the world, is yet un- 

 certain. 



It feems however worth the enquiry, whether 

 other hard winters, recorded in hifto'y, were 

 preceded by fimilar permanent and widely ex- 

 tended fummer fogs. Becaufe, if found to be 



