had steady frost on to the 25th when the therm"^ in 

 the morning was down to 10 with us, and at Newton 

 only to 21 ! Strong frost continued till the 31st when 

 some tendency to thaw was observed : and by Jan : 

 3rd : 1785 the thaw was confirmed, and some rain 

 fell. There was a circumstance that I must not omit, 

 because it was new to my brother and me ; which 

 was that on Friday, Dec loth, being bright sun- 

 shine, the air was full of icy spiculse, floating in all 

 directions, like atoms in a sun-beam let into a dark 

 room. We thought at first that they might have 

 been particles of the rime falling from my tall 

 hedges : but were soon convinced to the contrary 

 by making our observations in open places, where 

 no rime could reach us. Were they the watry 

 particles of the air frozen as they floated ; or were 

 they the evaporations from the snow frozen as they 

 mounted ? We were much obliged to the Therm"" for 

 y« early intimations that they gave us ; and hurryed 

 our apples, pears, onions, potatoes, &c., into the cel- 

 lar, and warm closets : while those, that had not 

 these warnings, lost all their stores, and had their 

 very bread and cheese frozen. For my own part, 

 having a house full of relations, I enjoyed the rigor- 

 ous season much ; and found full employ in shovel- 

 ing a path round my outlet, and up to Newton ; and 

 in observing the Therm^'S &c : and was only sorry 

 for the poor and aged, who suffered much. I must 

 not omit to tell you, that during those two Siberian 



