WEATHER. 307 



of the great elevation of that house, three- tenths 

 of an inch lower than the barometers at this vil- 

 lage, 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 sometimes 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 Lam- 

 beth ; 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 Weyb ridge, and so to London. Of course, 

 therefore, 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 hun- 

 dred miles. 



LXI. 



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 



x 2 



