M‘Sweeny, on the Climate of Ireland. 217 
The winters of 1766-1767-1768, were very cold all over Europe. 
In France the thermometer fell six degrees below the zero of Fahrenheit’s scale. 
The thermometer laid on the snew at Glasgow, fell two degrees below zero. 
1771 The Elbe was frozen to the bottom. 
1776 The Danube was frozen that it had ice five feet thick below Vienna. Wine 
was frozen in the.cellars in France. 
The successive winters of 1784 and 1785, were so severe, that the Little Belt was 
frozen over. i 
In 1789 The cold was excessive, and again in 1795, when the republican armies 
overran Holland. 
The successive winters of 1799 and 1800, were both very cold. 
In 1809, and again in 1812, the winters were remarkably cold. 
The following list is of years, the summers of which were remarkable for being hot 
and dry, from the same work, (the Philosophical Magazine, Vol. 55 :) 
‘ASD. FAs | AsDs A.D. A.D. A.D. ASD" A.D, A.D. 
763—1000—1171— —1473) —1556 —1646—1718 
860—1022—1232—1293 1333—1474 —1615 arma: 
9932 1130—1260—1294§ 1393) 1538 ) —1616§ —1660—1724 
994§ 1159—1276) 1303 13946 1539 
—12774 1304 1540 
1541 
1745) —1754—1763—1779 
1746§ —1760) 1774—1788 
1748 —1761§ 1778—1811 
As a succession of severe winters and of hot summers, have occasionally occurred, it 
is no wonder that an opinion of change of climate should have prevailed at different 
times. 
In the time of the Hon. Robert Boyle, it was supposed, that the climate of Russia 
had changed. Boyle says in his Treatise on Cold—‘ The Czar’s physician tells me 
by letter, that the winter he spent at Vologda, proved much less severe than usual, for 
as it happened, they had not three days of what they there call winter weather. He 
adds, that the cold which is thought to be excessive, hath been rare of late years, for 
some English who have lived upon the spot thirty years declare, that during their 
time, winters are become so mild, that the extreme cold which used to freeze people 
on the road in several postures, hath not been felt as formerly.”—Shaw’s Edition of 
Boyle's Works, Vol. I. p. 661. 
Bonaparte, if he were alive, would not be very much inclined to subscribe to the 
doctrine of a change of climate in Russia. 
In Lowthorp’s Abridgment of the Philosophical Transactions, Vol. II. p. 42, we 
have a paper on the alteration of the climate of Ireland. It tends to show that the 
idea of change of climate has not been confined to modern days, and that a succession 
of favourable years has led to the belief of a change. The writer observes, “ every 
