382 The Meteorology of Whitehaven. 
meadow hay turned out tolerably well; at all events, so much better 
than was looked for, that sellers, who expected to have realized 1s. per 
stone for their hay, were afterwards fain to accept of one-third of the 
anticipated price. 
August.—Another remarkably dry and cold month, though it is usually 
the warmest and among the wettest of the twelve. The evaporation 
exceeded the rain (2 inches) by .521 ; yet the former is much less than 
usual, and nearly 2 inches under that of the preceding month. This 
deficiency was in part caused by the low mean temperature of the month, 
which is 2° under that of July, and 2°.5 and 5°.5 respectively, under the 
corresponding month in 1843 and 1842. On the 7th there occurred the 
most terrific gale of wind ever remembered at this season. In the Lake 
District it is described as a hurricane, and was attended by the most 
violent torrents of rain. At Gatesgarth there fell 5.15 inches, and at 
Buttermere 4.19 inches, in 48 hours. Our summer fruits, as gooseberries, 
pears, and apples, were this year produced in great abundance. After 
the violent storm above alluded to, which made sad havoc amongst the 
fruit trees, apples were selling in our market at 6d. per stone, the price 
of the better sort of potatoes. The grain harvest commenced in this 
neighbourhood about the 24th. Aurore on the Ist and 9th. 27th, a 
Lunar halo. 
September.—We had no rain from the 23d of August till the 5th of 
September, and there was only one wet day after the 17th of the month. 
Weather fine and mild, and, on the whole, dry; for although we had 
nearly six inches of rain, it all fell in eleven days. On the 13th and 14th, 
however, the rain descended in vast torrents, and in forty-eight hours I 
had measured 4.137 inches, the largest quantity which has fallen in any 
two consecutive days since I have kept a record. On the 13th and 14th, 
there fell at Gatesgarth 4.66 inches, and at Wastdale Head within a 
fraction of six inches; but even this large quantity is very much under 
the average proportion which exists between Whitehaven and some parts 
of the Lake District. It is rather remarkable, that on these two days, 
the fall at Grasmere did not reach three inches. We have again been 
blessed with a most abundant harvest, which has been secured in excel- 
lent condition. The wheat crop is pronounced better than it has been 
for the last twenty-five years; barley was full on the ground, and the 
yield is remarkably good ; but oats are deficient both in quantity and 
quality. Except in very backward districts, tle harvest was quite con- 
cluded in this part of the country by the 26th of the month. 
October was chiefly remarkable for its high temperature. Swallows 
were seen in the Lake District as late 2s the 15th; but none were ob- 
served in this neighbourhood after the 22d of September, the usual time 
of their disappearance. The weather was favourable for the out-door 
operations of the farmer, and for taking up the potato crops, which were, 
generally speaking, abundant, except on wet clayey lands. The turnip 
crops were excellent. On the 24th, at noon, and for nearly three hours 
after, there was a large Solar halo, 42° in diameter. On the evening of 
the following day, there was also a Lunar halo. 
November, we might observe, was unusually dry, if the same remark 
did not equally apply to almost every month of the past year. On the 
night of the 14th, there fell at Gatesgarth, in nine consecutive hours, more 
than three inches of rain, nearly twice the quantity deposited at White- 
haven during the whole of this month. We had no frost from the 21st 
of March till the night of the 22d of November ; and this was the only 
one in the month on which the thermometer reached the freezing-point. 
A thermometer on the grass, however, fell to 24°, and in the previous 
month it descended to 6° below the freezing-point. Several flocks of 
wild geese were seén passing over the town during this month. On the 
