VOL. XLV.j PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 401 



diam of heat and cold in this climate; which is also within 1 degree of the tem- 

 perature recorded of the cave at the Paris observatory. 



At the foot of a high hill, adjacent to these vaults, issues out a curious spring, 

 the water of which he found exactly of the same temperature with that under- 

 ground ; though, when the thermometer was exposed to the open air, it stood 

 at 57°. 



N. B. A terrible thunder storm, June 12, 1/48, shook the earth to such a degree, as to throw 

 down those chalk vaults. 



Some Observations and Experiments made in Siberia, extracted from the Preface 



to the Flora Siberica, sive Historia Plantarum Siberice cum tabulis leri incisis. 



Auct. D. Gmelin. Chem. et Hist. Nat. Prof Petropoli \7A7, 4.to. Vol. I. By 



John Fothergill, M. D. Lie. Colleg. Med. Londin. N° 486, p. 248. 



By direction of the late Empress of Russia, several members of the Royal 

 Academy of Sciences at Petersburg undertook a journey into Siberia, in order to 

 inquire into the natural history of that country, and to make such experiments 

 and observations, as might tend to give a just idea of that almost unknown 

 region, and to the improvement of physics in general. 



Dr. John George Gmelin, professor of chemistry and natural history at Peters- 

 burg, was placed at the head of this deputation, who, besides several of his col- 

 leagues, and some students, had a painter or two, a miner, a huntsman, arid 

 proper attendants in his retinue. They set out on this expedition in August 1733, 

 and returned to Petersburg in Feb. 1742, after having spent near g years in 

 visiting almost every part of Siberia. 



The fruits of this undertaking are designed to be communicated to the public,* 

 and one volume of the history of plants has already appeared, entitled as above. 

 This is intended to be followed by several others,-|- containing not only a descrip- 

 tion of the plants, their locus natalis, &c. but their uses among the inhabitants, 

 8o far as the Professor could get information concerning them. 



In a large preface to this first volume, the ingenious and indefatigable author 

 has given a concise account of Siberia in general, its rivers, lakes, mountains, 

 mines, the nature of the soil, fertility, &c. with several judicious experiments 

 and remarks on the altitude of the earth above the level of the sea; but espe- 

 cially on the qualities of the air in that climate. 



Pauda is allowed to be the highest of all that ridge of mountains called Wer- 



* Professor Gmelin's travels in Siberia were published in the German language, in 4 vols. 4to. 

 Many and very important additions, relative to the geography and natural history of Siberia, were 

 afterwards made by the late professor Pallas. 



+ Three more vols, of this splendid work were afterwards published; a further account of which 

 will be found in the 48th vol. of the Philos. Trans. 



3r 2 



