New York. 267 



[of Augujl ', whereas we can hardly bring 

 Ithem fo foon to maturity under glafles and 

 on hot beds. The cold of the winter, I 

 cannot juftly determine, as the meteorolo- 

 gical obfervations which were communicat- 

 ed to me, were all calculated after ther- 

 mometers, which were fo placed in the 

 houfes, that the air could not freely come at 

 them. The fnow lies for fome months to- 

 gether upon theground; and fledges are made 

 ufe of here as in Sweden, but they are rather 

 too bulky. The river Hudfon is about an 

 Englifli mile and a half broad at its mouth: 

 the difference between the higheft flood and 

 the lowefl: ebb is between flx and i^v^n 

 feet, and the water is very brackifh : yet 

 the ice {lands in it not only one but even 

 feveral months : it has fometimes a thick- 

 nefs of more than two feet. 



The inhabitants are fometimes greatly 

 troubled with Miifquitoes. They either 

 follow the hay which is made near the 

 town, in the low meadows which are quite 

 penetrated with fait water ; or they accom- 

 pany the cattle at night when it is brought 

 home. I have myfelf experienced, and have 

 obferved in others, how much thefe little 

 animalcules can disfigure a perfon's face dur- 

 ing a Angle night; for the fl^in is fometimes 



fo 



