106 ON THE DROUGHT OF 1858. 



XL— On the Drouyht of 1858. By Mr. John Watson, F.R.A.S. 



This paper is devoted to a twofold object. First, the collection 

 of a few facts respecting the remarkable drought of 1858, with a 

 view to placing them on permanent record in our " Transactions ;" 

 and, secondly, furnishing an answer to a very important ques- 

 tion, raised last year in one of our local papers — namely, Is 

 the fall of rain in this country diminishing ? 



A very good reason why last year's drought ought to receive 

 some attention at our hands, is because it was felt in its greatest 

 severity in this immediate neighbourhood. It commenced in the 

 early part of November, 1857, and lasted nearly eight months. 

 During that period (two-thirds of a year), the fall of rain at 

 Wylam, Newcastle, Bishopwearmouth, Durham, and Washing- 

 ton, taking the mean of all these stations, was only about five 

 inches, instead of fifteen to eighteen inches. 



A month without rain in this country, is an exceedingly rare 

 occurrence, even in summer; but, in our "Transactions," it may 

 be seen that at Newcastle, Lieutenant O'Grady's register shows 

 an entire blank in December, 1857; and during the following six 

 months, only three inches of rain were collected ! And at Wash- 

 ington, in the six months between the 9th of November, 1857, 

 and the 9th of May, 1858, only 2-41 inches were measured. In 

 these two instances we have records of a drought which, so far 

 as I can learn from existing records, is quite unparalleled in 

 this country. The annexed table, chiefly compiled from the Club 

 register, shows at a glance the fall of rain at a few stations dur- 

 ing the first half of 1858, as compared with the first six months 

 of previous years. This table might easily have been increased 

 in length; but my object is to show that the drought has been 

 most intense in this locality, as just mentioned. 



Bridport 9-14 15-70 



Uckfield (Sussex) 7-3() 12-40 



