THE WEATHER. 
247 
mercury stood, on account of the great elevation of that house, 
three-tenths of an inch lower than the barometers at this village, 
and so continues to do, be the weight of the atmosphere what 
it may. The plate of the barometer at Newton is figured as low 
as 27 ; because in stormy weather the mercury there will some- 
times descend below 28. We have supposed Newton-house to 
stand two hundred feet higher than this house : but if the rule 
holds good, which • says that mercury in a barometer sinks one- 
tenth of an inch for every hundred feet elevation, then the Newton 
barometer, by standing three-tenths lower than that of Selborne, 
proves that Newton-house must be three hundred feet higher 
than that in which I am writing, instead of two hundred. 
It may not be impertinent to add, that the barometers at 
Selborne stand three-tenths of an inch lower than the barometers 
at South Lambeth ; vrhence we may conclude that the former 
place is about three hundred feet higher than the latter ; and 
with good reason, because the streams that rise with us run into 
the Thames at Weybridge, and so to London. Of course there- 
fore there must be lower ground all the way from Selborne to 
South Lambeth ; the distance between which, all the windings 
and indentings of the streams considered, cannot be less than a 
hundred miles. I am, &c. 
LETTER LXL To the Hon. DAINES BARRINGTON. 
Since the weather of a district is undoubtedly part of its natural 
history, I shall make no further apology for the four following 
letters, which will contain many particulars concerning some of 
the great fi;'osts and a few respecting some very hot summers, 
that have distinguished themselves from the rest during the 
course of my observations. 
As the frost in January 1768 was, for the small time it lasted, 
the most severe that we had then known for many years, and 
was remarkably injurious to ever-greens, some account of its 
rigour, and reason of its ravages, may be useful, and not unac- 
ceptable to persons that delight in planting and ornamenting ; 
and may particularly become a work that professes never to lose 
sight of utility. 
For the last two or three days of the former year there were 
considerable falls of snow, which lay deep and uniform on the 
