308 
NATURAL HISTORY 
reach, us. Were they watery particles of the air frozen a? 
they floated ; or were they evaporations from the snow 
frozen as they mounted ? 
We were much obKged 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 earl}^ 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 LXIV. 
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 he more concise in my account of the 
severity of '^a summer season, and so make a little amende 
