UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 97 



gealing of the water as it flows down the surface 

 of the icicle. When broken across, he shewed 

 me that it was somewhat radiated in the struc- 

 ture, as if the spicula arranged themselves round 

 the axis ; and he added that if I examined a 

 flake of snow, I might see the same appearance. 



I next asked him (indeed he is very patient) 

 if it is the shooting of these spicula that causes 

 the beautiful appearance of leaves and flowers on 

 the windows ; he said, yes. But why then are 

 the shapes of the leaves so very various ? 



" On a calm night/' he replied, " only a close, 

 even net-work is formed ; but the least current 

 of air whirls the moisture into an amusing 

 variety of forms. That icy foliage is generally 

 withinside the window, because our breath con- 

 tains much moist vapour ; and as no room 

 that has doors, windows, and chimnies, can be 

 without partial drafts of air, so the spicula are 

 urged together in one place, and irregularly 

 checked in another. 



Sunday. Frederick asked my uncle 

 this morning, why the work of the tabernacle was 

 so minutely described in the Bible. 



" It is supposed," he replied, " that Moses 

 has been thus exact in relating how the tabernacle 

 was made, in order to shew that all was done 

 according to God's directions, detailed in the 

 preceding chapters; and it is therefore that 



K 



