heave and work, and a manifeft thaw tdok place. From the latteir
circumftance we may conclude that thaws often originate under
ground from warm vapours which arife; elfe bow ffaCnirkl fiibter-
rabeoUs animals receive ftrch ehrfy intimations of their approach.
MofeoVer, We 'have often obferved that Cold feems to defcend
froth above ; for, when a thermometer hangs abroad in a frofty
night, the intervention d a cloud lhall ‘immediately raife the
mercury ten degree's ; and a -clear fky-fhhll again compel it to
defcend to it’s former gage.
And hefe it may be prbper to obferve, on what has been faid
above, that though frofts advance to their uttnoft-fevfcrity-fey fome-
■ tvhat of a regular gradation, yet tfiaws do nOt-ufually xotne On by
/ as regular a declenffion of 'cold; :but often take place immediately
’ fr0m iritenfe freezing; ds 'men in freknefe'often mend at once
from aparoxyfm.
T o the great"<fredit t>f lanrHa and .jfawrfa»»’junipers, - tie
it remembered that th’eylemained hmouched amidft the gtweral
haVockrtenOe then fliould leam' to ornament chiefly with faeh
trees as are able to withstand accidental feverities, and not fnbjecc
themfelves to the vexation of a lofs which may befall them Once
perhaps in ten years, yet may hardly be recovered through d ke
Whole Coutfe of thOir lives.
As it appeared afterwards the ilexes were much injured, the
cypreffes were half deftroyed, the arbutufes lingered on, but never
recovered ; and the bays, lauruftines, and laurels, were -killed to
the 'ground ■ ;• and the very wiki hollies, in hot afpefb, were fo
much affedted that-they "call All their leaves.
By the 14th of J'&ttti'dfy the'fn ow 'was entirely gone; tire turnips
emerged not damaged at all, fave in funny places; the wheat
looked delicately, and 'the garden plants"were well preferved;
for
for fnow is the moft kindly mantle that infant vegetation .can be
wrapped in.: weie it hot for that friendly meteor no vegetable
could e.xift at all in northerly regions. Yet in Sweden the earth ip
April is not divefted of fnow for more than a fortnight before th?
face , of the country is covered with, flowers,,
l e t t e r lxi.
t o t h e S A M E .
T heele. were focne .circuflnftanc.es attending the remarkable froft
in January 1776 f o . fwgufar and ftriking, that a fhort detail o
them may not be unacceptable. 5? £»
The moft certain w(ay to,he exa&.will be to. copy the paffages
from my journal, which wore taken from time to time as things
occurred, Rut it may be proper preyioufty to remark that the fiift
week in Januaty was uncommonly wet, and drowped with y.aft
rains from every'quarter whence .may be inferred as there
is g r e a t reafon to believe is. the cafe, that mtenfe. frofts feldom
take" place till the- earth is perfeQ;ly .glutted and chilled with
waterf ; add hence dry autumns are. feldpin followed, by rigorous
,winters,
«■ - - » “ <*■
when the fprings were very high. • \ t
P p a . ? anuary