[ 6 7i ] 
iEpinus, then repeated this experiment. As foon as 
the former had obferved the quickfilver immoveable 
in the thermometer, he broke the glafs ; and he 
found, to his amazement, the quickfilver frozen, but 
not intirely ; for in the middle of the glafs ball there 
was a fmall portion yet remaining fluid. Mr. A£- 
pinus’s thermometer fell, with extreme rapidity, al- 
moft to the 500th degree, and in breaking the glafs 
from below, he found the quickfilver contained in it 
abfolutely frozen. Both the gentlemen found, that 
the quickfilver, thus rendered folid, bore hammering 
and extenlion, like other metals j but being aftewards 
expofed to the open air, it recovered its formerfluidity 
in a little time. 
Mr. Aipinus went fomewhat farther, in order to 
examine the quickfilver, when it was made folid. 
He poured quickfilver into a glafs tube as thick as 
one’s finger, clofed at bottom, but open at top. The 
quickfilver in this cylinder, which was about one inch 
and half long, froze in three quarters of a minute ; 
and he obferved, that it became folid, perfectly re- 
fembling other metals, except iron : it continually 
contracted, and its furface, which was at firfl pretty 
high, foon funk very low. This cylinder of frozen 
quickfilver funk to the bottom of fluid quickfilver, 
in the fame manner, as is obferved of other metals, 
except iron. We know the contrary happens with 
regard to water frozen and other fluids, which ex- 
tend as they become folid, and their ice fwims in 
the fluid matter, of which they were produced. 
On the a 6th of December in the morning, be- 
tween nine and ten, the cold became extremely fharp 
at an degrees, and fuch as exceeded the greatefl 
3 degree 
