Lesson xxix.] WATER. 197 



" heit's scale of the freezing point, instead of going 

 on to he farther condensed, as it loses more of its 

 " heat, it actually expands, as it grows colder, 

 " and continues to expand more and more as it is 

 " more cooled." 



After enlarging upon this subject, he proceeds 

 thus : " As nourishment and life are conveyed 

 " to all living creatures through the medium of 

 "Water; liquid, living Water; to preserve life, 

 " it was absolutely necessary to preserve a great 

 " quantity of Water in a fluid state, in winter as 

 " well as in summer. But in cold climates the 

 ' temperature of the atmosphere, during many 

 " months in the year, is so much below the 

 " freezing point, that had not measures been taken 

 " to prevent so fatal an accident, all the water 

 " must inevitably have been changed to ice, which 

 " would infallibly have caused the destruction of 

 " every living thing/' 



Count Rumford then shews how very powerfully 

 this wonderful contrivance tends to retard the 

 cooling of 'Water, when it is exposed in a cold 

 atmosphere, and its consequent tendency to pre- 

 vent all those dreadful evils which must have ne- 

 cessarily ensued, had it not been for this remark- 

 able property : but instead of making farther ex- 

 tracts, which, as they must be short, would be in. 

 adequate to the purpose, I must refer my young 

 reader to the Essays themselves, for the time be- 

 stowed on the perusal of which he will find him- 

 self amply repaid. 



K. 3 Water, 



