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could readily credit this ; for all my lauriistines, bays, ilexes, 

 arbutuses, cypresses, and even my Portugal laurels,^ and 

 (which occasions more regret) my fine sloping laurel hedge, 

 were scorched up ; while, at Newton, the same trees have 

 not lost a leaf! 



We had steady frost on to the 25th, when the ther- 

 mometer in the morning was down to 10 with us, and at 

 Newton only to 21. Strong frost continued till the 31st, 

 when some tendency to thaw was observed ; and, by 

 January the 3d, 1785, the thaw was confirmed, and some 

 rain fell. 



A circumstance that I must not omit, because it was new 

 to us, is, that on Friday, December the loth, being bright 

 sun-shine, the air was full of icy spiculae, floating in all 

 directions, like atoms in a sun-beam let into a dark room. 

 We thought them at first particles of the rime falling from 

 my tall hedges ; but were soon convinced to the contrary, 

 by making our observations in open places where no rime 

 could reach us. Were they watery particles of the air 

 frozen as they floated ; or were they evaporations from the 

 snow frozen as they mounted } 



We were much obliged to the thermometers for the early 

 information they gave us; and hurried our apples, pears, 

 onions, potatoes, etc. into the cellar, and warm closets; 

 while those who had not, or neglected such warnings, lost 

 all their stores of roots and fruits, and had their very bread 

 and cheese frozen. 



I must not omit to tell you that, during those two 

 Siberian days, my parlour-cat was so electric, that had a 

 person stroked her, and been properly insulated, the shock 

 might have been given to a whole circle of people. 



I forgot to mention before, that, during the two severe 

 days, two men, who were tracing hares in the snow, had 

 their feet frozen ; and tv/o men, who were much better 



^ Mr. Miller, in his Gardener's Dictionary, says positively that the 

 Portugal laurels remained untouched in the remarkable frost of 1739-40. 

 So that either that accurate observer was much mistaken, or else the frost 

 of December 1784 was much more severe and destructive than that in 

 the year above mentioned. 



