THE WEATHER. 247 



mercury stood, on account of the great elevation of that house, 

 three-tenths of an inch lower than the barometers at this village, 

 and so continues to do, be the weight of the atmosphere what 

 it may. The plate of the barometer at Newton is figured as low 

 as 27 ; because in stormy weather the mercury there will some- 

 times descend below 28. We have supposed Newton-house to 

 stand two hundred feet higher than this house : but if the rule 

 holds good, which says that mercury in a barometer sinks one- 

 tenth of an inch for every hundred feet elevation, then the Newton 

 barometer, by standing three-tenths lower than that of Selborne, 

 proves that Newton-house must be three hundred feet higher 

 than that in which I am writing, instead of two hundred. 



It may not be impertinent to add, that the barometers at 

 Selborne stand three-tenths of an inch lower than the barometers 

 at South Lambeth ; whence we may conclude that the former 

 place is about three hundred feet higher than the latter ; and 

 with good reason, because the streams that rise with us run into 

 the Thames at Weybridge, and so to London. Of course there- 

 fore there must be lower ground all the way from Selborne to 

 South Lambeth ; the distance between which, all the windings 

 and indentings of the streams considered, cannot be less than a 

 hundred miles. I am, &c. 



LETTER LXI. To THE HON. DAINES BARRINGTON. 



SINCE the weather of a district is undoubtedly part of its natural 

 history, I shall make no further apology for the four following 

 letters, which will contain many particulars concerning some of 

 the great frosts and a few respecting some very hot summers, 

 that have distinguished themselves from the rest during the 

 course of my observations. 



As the frost in January 1768 was, for the small time it lasted, 

 the most severe that we had then known for many years, and 

 was remarkably injurious to ever-greens, some account of its 

 rigour, and reason of its ravages, may be useful, and not unac- 

 ceptable to persons that delight in planting and ornamenting ; 

 and may particularly become a work that professes never to lose 

 sight of utility. 



For the last two or three days of the former year there were 

 considerable falls of snow, which lay deep and uniform on the 



