308 NATURAL HISTORY 



reach us. Were they watery particles of the air frozen as 

 they floated ; or were they evaporations from the snow 

 frozen as they mounted ? 



We were much obliged to the thermometers for the early 

 information they gave us ; and hurried our apples, pears, 

 onions, potatoes, &c. into the cellar, and warm closets ; 

 while those who had not, or neglected, such warnings, lost 

 all their stores of roots and fruits, and had their very bread 

 and cheese frozen. 



I must not omit to tell you that, during those two 

 Siberian days, my parlour cat was so electric, that had a 

 person stroked her, and been properly insulated, the shock 

 might have been given to a whole circle of people. 



I forgot to mention before, that, during the two severe 

 days, two men, who were tracing hares in the snow, had 

 their feet frozen ; and two men, who were much better 

 employed, had their fingers so affected by the frost, while 

 they were thrashing in a barn, that a mortification followed, 

 from which they did not recover for many weeks. 



This frost killed all the furze and most of the ivy, and in 

 many places stripped the hollies of all their leaves. It 

 came at a very early time of the year, before old Novem- 

 ber ended ; and yet may be allowed from its effects to have 

 exceeded any since 1739-40. 



LETTER LXIY. 



TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES BARRINGTON. 



S the effects of heat are seldom very remark- 

 able in the northerly climate of England, 

 where the summers are often so defective in 

 warmth and sunshine as not to ripen the 

 fruits of the earth so well as might be 

 wished, I shall be more concise in my account of the 

 severity of a summer season, and so make a little amends 



