6 2 Winter of 1 8 3 7- 8 «/ Munich, 



teresting in many respects to describe the character it displayed 

 here; because, compared with information on the subject re- 

 ceived from warmer situations, it appears to have been milder 

 here than there. Allow me, therefore, to subjoin my observations. 

 Sportsmen and country people generally prophesied a cold 

 winter, from the thickness of the plumage of the feathered tribe, 

 and the appearance of birds of passage ; but the latter end of 

 autumn, or rather the commencement of winter, proved the con- 

 trary. The weather in October was not dry, as is usually the 

 case here, but varied alternately with rain and hail, and just about 

 as much frost as was necessary for the fall of the leaf. In ge- 

 neral the trees have completely ripened their summer shoots, and 

 are deprived of their foliage, before November. Instead of which, 

 favoured by the weather, the first days of November that year 

 afforded an unusual treat to the inhabitants of Munich. I allude 

 to the gay appearance of the cemetery, which on All Saints' day 

 displayed the richness of an ornamental flower-garden ; and on 

 that day which is consecrated to the memory of the departed, 

 the most beautiful sunshine attracted thousands to enter the ce- 

 metery, to enjoy the promenade, and to shed tears of affection 

 on the ashes of their relations and friends which repose there. 

 The all powerful influence of affection was strongly manifested 

 on this occasion ; for, if a flower-show had been exhibited, it is 

 hardly possible that more beautiful and rare plants could have 

 been displayed ; while in the cemetery their beauty was increased 

 by the numerous sepulchral monuments which they adorned. 

 These beautiful days were followed by heavy rains, and some 

 snow, which was not of long continuance, but varied from one 

 extreme to another every week, which might have been occa- 

 sioned by the very frequent changes of the wind, as it was in every 

 point of the compass almost every day. Some days the ther- 

 mometer fell below + 2° and 3° of Reaumur (27° and 25° Fahi\), 

 but it soon rose again to — 8° or 10° Reaum. (50° or 52° Fahr.) ; 

 and I should have been in doubt as to there being any necessity 

 for protecting the tender plants, had I not known, from the ex- 

 perience of preceding years, that mild sunless (scheinlos) winters 

 do more harm than severe ones. All kinds of out-door labour 

 could still be performed quite easily ; and the black Niesswurz, 

 the marsh violet, the honeysuckle, &c, began to come into flower. 

 The weather continued in this way till about the middle of De- 

 cember, when the east wind set in, and seemed to give the 

 weather a more decided character, as the thermometer indicated 

 — 15° Reaum. (1° below zero Fahr.) at six o'clock in the morning 

 of the 16th. But in the night of the 18th a violent stormy wind 

 blew from the south-west, which continued to the 26th, and brought 

 heavy rain, and the temperature often rose to +12 Reaum. 

 (58° Fahr.) Thus, Christmas passed over without its having 





