Chap, I. CLIMATE, SEASONS, kc. o7 



wet. It will come in spite of the fine, 

 serene sky, which we now see. 

 Dec. 24. A Thaw. — Servants made a lot of candles 

 from mutton and beef fat, reserving the 

 coarser parts to make soap. 



25. Rain. Had some English friends. Sur- 

 loin of own beef. Spent the evening in 

 the light of own candles^ as handsome as 1 

 ever saw, and, I think, the very best I 

 ever saw. The reason is, that the tal- 

 low is fresh, and that it is unmixed with 

 grease, v/hich, and staleness, is the cause, 

 I believe, of candles running, and plague- 

 ing us while we are using them. What 

 an- injury is it to the farmers in England, 

 that they dare not, in this way, use their 

 own produce ! Is it not a mockery to call 

 a man./ree, who no more dares turn his 

 tallow into candles for his own use, than 

 he dares rob upon the high way ? Yet, 

 it is only by means of tyranny and extor- 

 tion like this, that the hellish system oi' 

 Funding and of Seat-Selling can be upheld, 



26. Fine warm day. 52 degrees in shade. 



27. Cold, but little frost. 



28. Same weather. Fair and pleasant. The 

 late sharp frost has changed to a complete 

 yellow every leaf of some Swedish Tur 

 nips (Ruta Baga), left to take their chance ; 

 It is a poor chance, I believe 1 



29. Same weather. 



30. Rain all day. 



31. Mild and clear. No frost, 

 1818. 



Jan. 1. Same weather. 



2. Same weather. 



3. Heavy Rain. 



4. A frost that makes us jump and skip about 

 like larks. Very seasonable for a slirg- 



4 



