148 NATURAL HISTORY 



A circumstance that I must not omit, 

 because it was new to us, is, that on Friday, 

 December the 10th, being bright sun-shine, 

 the air was full of icy spicules, floating in 

 all directions, like atoms in a sun-beam let 

 into a dark room. We thought them at 

 first 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 watery particles of the air 

 frozen as they floated ; or were they eva- 

 porations from the snow frozen as they 

 mounted ? 



We were much obliged to the thermo- 

 meters 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 neg- 

 lected 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 



