cqxe’s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA . 66g

Gulf of Finland was covered with ice, and fledges began to pafs from Peterfburgh toCronftadt, the road being marked over the furface by rows of trees.

Even during the months of December and January, the weather was extremelychangeable ; is fhifted in a fudden manner from a fevere froft to a thaw ; the mercuryin the thermometer often rofe within the courfe of twenty hours from 20 to 34, andfunk again as rapidly in the fame fpace of time *.

"When the froft was not fevere, namely, when the mercury in Fahrenheit’s thermo-meter was not below 10, I frequently walked out in a common great coat. Whenthe cold was more intenfe, I was drefled in the manner of the natives ; and wore, inmy daily excurfions, a pelijfe, or large fur cloak, fur boots or fhoes, a black velvet orfur bonnet, that prevented the froft from nipping my ears, the part which I found themoft liable to be affected. During the 9th, foth, and 11th of January, the froft wasnearly as intenfe f as it was ever felt at Peterfburgh ; the mercury in the thermometerfalling at one time to 63 below freezing point, or — 31. This cold, however, didnot detain me at home; but I walked out, as ufual, with my pelijje, boots, and foundit by no means unpleafant, the fun fhining with great brightnefs. As I traverfed thecity on the morning of the 12th, I obferved feveral perfons whofe faces had been'bitten by the froft : their cheeks had large fears, and appeared as if Tinged with a hotiron. As I was walking with an EngKfh gentleman, who.,inftead of a fur cap, had ona common hat, his ears were fuddenly frozen: he felt no pain, and would not haveperceived it for Tome time, had not a Ruffian informed him J, and affifted him in rub-bing the part affefted with fnow, by which means it was inftantly recovered. ■ This,or friftion with flannel, is the ufual remedy; but fhould the perfon in that ftate approachthe fire, or dip the part in warm water, it immediately mortifies and drops off.

The common people continued at work as ufual, and the drivers of fledges plied inthe ftreets, feemingly unaffected by the froft ; their beards were incrufted with clottedice, and the horfes covered with ificles. Even during this extreme cold, the people

* Although I examined the thermometer every day; yet I did not attempt to form a feries of re-gular obfervations, which 1 now much regret. I occafionally, indeed, made a few remarks, which Ifhall infert, as I find them fcattered in my journal: they will tend to confirm the truth of what I haveadvanced in relation to the change of weather obfervable at Peterfburgh, and will ferve to contradidlthofe authors, who afiert that, as foon as the hard froft commences, the cold continues with uniformfeverity, and with little variation, during the whole feafon. Nov 16. Today a thaw ; the thermometermounted to 40 : in the evening fharp froft again ; the mercury falling to 20.—Nov. 23. The ther-mometer at 4, 5, and 6.—Dec. 3. It has been thefe few days moftly a thaw and changeable weather.—Dec. 6. The thermometer fell almoft fuddenly from 33 to •: o.—Dec. 11. Thermometer at-10.—Dec. 14;A fudden thaw, which continued the 15th and 16th.—Dec. 17. 1 hermometer-7.—Dec. iS. Ther-mometer at -5, and a fog at the fame time —Dec. 19. Windy, thaw, thermometer above freezing point.—Dec. *1. Changeable weather all this week, from fharp froft to fudden thaw.—Jan, r. 1779. Wea-ther very changeable, the thermometer one morning at -8, the next above freezing point; this winter ithas not as yet been lower than .13—Jan. 6. Thermometer at -14.—Jan. 9, Thermometer at -7I; thebarometer mounted fuddenly very high lince laft night.—Jan 10. Early this morning the thermometerat ■ 2t, and at 1 ; at zcj. Barometer at 30 -^. _ The fmoke of the chimnies was prefled down to theground.—Jan. 11. Thermometer at-28, according to my own obfervation, at ten in the morning : butearlier the mercury had funk to -31I or 63J below freezing point. - Jan. 15. Thermometer, fince theUth , rofe gradually : on the 12th in the morning it flood to -13 ; from thence it fell to o, to I,; andto-day it is above freezing point.

I made the fame obfervations during the fecond winter which I paffed at Peterfburgh, and found theweather equally uncertain.

t The winter in which profeflor Braun congealed quickfilver, the cold was fo intenfe, that De Lifle’sthermometer funk to 204=:in Fahrenheit’s to—33, or 65 below freezing point.

J The part frozen always turns quite white, a fymptom well known, and immediately perceived by thenatives,

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