UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 137 



chance circumstance relative to any subject 

 about which we have been interested. Here is 

 something that I found in Scoresby's Journal; 

 and it seems quite to agree with my uncle's 

 opinion. 



;t This night stars were seen for the first time 

 during fifteen weeks, the sky being beautifully 

 clear. The sea, as usual on such occasions 

 began to freeze as soon as the sun descended 

 within four or five degrees of the horizon, though 

 the temperature of the air was considerably 

 above the freezing point. Whether the heat of 

 the water be radiated into the atmosphere, ac- 

 cording to the theory of Dr. Wells, or whether 

 a cold influence of the atmosphere be conveyed 

 to the water, may be a doubtful question ; but 

 the fact, that the water more rapidly loses its 

 heat when exposed to the full aspect of a 

 cloudless sky, is certain. In cloudy weather no 

 freezing of the sea ever occurs, I believe, till the 

 temperature of the air is below 29 : but in the 

 instance now alluded to, the freezing commenced 

 when the temperature was 36, being about 8 

 above the freezing point of sea water." 



5/t , Sunday.- My uncle said to-day that, before 

 we quitted the subject of the Jewish sacrifices, he 

 had a few more observations to make, to which 

 he requested our attention. 



" In a worldly point of view," he said, tf the 



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