I'/ie Natural History of Se I borne 397 



tuses, 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 thermometer 

 it the morning was down to 10 with us, and at Newton only 

 to 21. Strong frost continued till the 3ist, when some 

 tendency to thaw was observed ; and, by January the 3rd, 

 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 spiculce, floating in all directions, 

 like atoms in a sunbeam 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, &c., into the cellar, and warm closets ; while 

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

 their store of roots and fruits, and had their very bread and 

 cheese frozen. 



I must not omit to tell you that, during these 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 two men, who were much better employed, 



* 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. 



