206 M‘Sweeny, on the Climate of Ireland. 
the County Limerick, and to destroy such corn as could not be presently reaped. 
‘« But in effecting hereof, the governor found great difficulty, for the harvest, by 
reason of the winter-like summer, was very backward.” 
It ought to be remarked here, that barley was very much cultivated at this period 
in Ireland, and in treating of the vegetation of the island, it can be shown that 
barley in modern times has been reaped very early in Kerry. 
(October) ‘ Easterly winds are so seldom upon this coast, as it would ask a long 
time to transport victuals and munitions by sea.” 
(January) ‘* The sharpness of this winter journey, did exceedingly weaken our 
companies, for the mountains of Beare, being at that time quite covered with snow, 
tasted the strong bodies, whereby many returned sick; and some, unable to endure 
the extremity, died standing sentinel.” 
Snow on the mountains, at this time of the year, is not of uncommon occurrence 
at present ; and we have evidence from the same work, the Pacata Hibernia, to ren- 
der it probable that the cold was not so severe as to freeze the rivers ; for, on the 5th 
of January, in an account of a fight between the troops of Captain Taffe, and those 
of Owen Mac Eggan, the troops of the latter were driven into the river Bandon: 
“Jeaped into the river Bandon, hoping by that means to escape ; but that little availed 
them, for they all for the most part, were either killed or drowned in the river. 
(March) “After the Lord Deputy departed, by reason of easterly winds, the 
President was stayed about three weeks in Dublin, during which time, every day, posts 
were employed between them.” 
Here we have an account of the prevalence of easterly wiuds in the spring, which is 
well known to hold good at present. This prevalence of easterly winds, in the spring, 
was also remarked at the time of Doctor Boate, in Ireland. Doctor Rutty informs 
us, that the easterly winds in spring, are nearly double to what they are in autumn 
and winter, and that the North East wind in spring, is double to what it is in autumn 
and winter.—Natural History of the County of Dublin, Vol. II. p. 457. 
Indeed, taking in general, the details of the weather in the reign of Elizabeth, as 
they are to be gathered from the Pacata Hibernia, we find a similarity between them 
and the observations of Doctor Rutty. June is stated to be a convenient time to be 
in camp, in the above cited work: by Rutty’s statements, there would be a good 
chance of fair weather in this month. By the Pacata Hibernia, it appears that 
abundance of rain fell in July. During the space of forty-three years in Dublin, in 
seven years only was the month of July fair and dry.—Natural History of the 
County of Dublin, Vol. II. p. 462. 
We have it expressly stated in the Pacata Hibernia, under the head of October, 
that easterly winds were seldom on the south coast of Ireland. 
There is reason to think from the context, that the frost, which was of unusual 
severity, at the time of the siege of Kingsale, was ushered in by a north wind, because 
the ships, with supplies from England, were driven to the southermost part,of Ire- 
