ihe C on gelation oj ^ hiickjilve r, ng l 
Uvo great bodies of water; but the undertaking was unfortu- 
nately interrupted by his death *. 
§ 1 1. The lad indance I have been able to find of the con- 
gelation of quickfilver by natural cold, occurred no longer aro 
than the beginning of the year 1782, in Iemtland, one of the 
northern provinces of Sweden. M. John tornsten, Engi- 
neer-extraordinary, is the gentleman to whom we are indebted 
for this obfervation. His letter on the fubject, dated from 
Brunflo in Iemtland, lat. 6 fj N. and long. 15° E. is inferred 
in the Swedifti Tranfa&ions for 17821-, together with fome 
remarks upon it by Profeflor wilcke. 
“ During twelve years,” fays M. tornsten, 44 that I have 
ie refickd here in Iemtland, the cold had never but once brought 
“ the thermometer lb low as - 56°, till the lad; day of Decern- 
<c ber, 1781, when it fell in the evening to — 54 0 . The fol- 
44 lowing new-year’s day it was funk to - 56° at eight in the 
“ morning, and by ten to - 62°. Here it continued ftationary 
46 feveral hours, but at half pad four in the afternoon it was 
44 obferved at — 116% and by eight the fame evening it had 
44 rifen to -31°. Although the quickfilver,” continues M. 
tornsten, 44 thus fell to - 1 1 6° on the fird of January in 
*' j 
44 the afternoon, I am of opinion that its defeent ought not to 
44 be aferibed to a proportionable increafe of cold, but on the 
44 contrary proceeded from the fudden change to milder wea- 
44 ther, which came on that afternoon. For the preceding 
44 evening, when the thermometer was danding at — 54 0 , I 
44 remarked, that, upon bringing it into a warm room, the 
* 4 quickfilver fell 011 a fudden entirely into the hall, which was 
* Bufching’s Erdbefchreibung, Theil I. p. 669. 
f Kongl. Veterdk. Acad. Nya Hand I in gar, tom. fll. p. 8o. 
Vojl. LXXIIL Fff 44 about 
