CLIMATE, SEASONS, ETC. 



1817. 



July 27. mongers, in gallons of milk and water. Not more 



flies than in England. 



28. Very, very hot. The Thermometer 85 degrees in 

 the shade ; but a breeze. Never slept better in all 

 my life. No covering. A sheet under me, and a 

 straw bed. And then, so happy to have no clothes 

 to put on but shoes and trowsers ! My window 

 looks to the East. The moment the Aurora appears, 

 I am in the Orchard. It is impossible for any 

 human being to lead a pleasanter life than this. 

 How I pity those, who are compelled to endure the 

 stench of cities ; but, for those who remain there 

 without being compelled, I have no pity. 

 29. Still the same degree of heat. I measured a water 

 melon runner, which grew eighteen inches in the 

 last 48 hours. The dews now are equal to showers ; 

 I frequently, in the morning, wash hands and face, 

 feet and legs, in the dew on the high grass. The 

 Indian Corn shoots up now so beautifully I 



30. Still melting hot. 



31. Same weather. 



August i . Same weather. I take off two shirts a day wringing 

 wet, I have a clothes-horse to hang them on to dry. 

 Drink about 20 good tumblers of milk and water 

 every day. No ailments. Head ahvays clear. Go 

 to bed by day-light very often. Just after the hens 

 go to roost, and rise again with them. 



2. Hotter and hotter, I think ; but, in this weather we 

 always have our friendly breeze. Not a single 

 musquito yet. 



3. Cloudy and a little shattering of rain ; but not 

 enough to lay the dust. 



4 Fine hot day. 



5. A very little rain. Dried up in a minute. Planted 

 cabbages with dust running into the holes. 



6. Fine hot day. 



7. Appearances forebode rain. I have observed that, 

 when rain is approaching, the stones (which are the 

 rock stone of the country), with which a piazza 

 adjoining the house is paved, get wet. This wet 

 appears, at first, at the top of each round stone, and, 

 then, by degrees, goes all over it. Rain is sure to 

 follow. It has never missed ; and, which is very 

 curious, the rain lasts exactly as long as the stones 

 take to get all over wet before it comes ! The stones 

 dry again before the rain ceases. However, this 

 foreknowledge of rain is of little use here ; for, 

 when it comes, it is sure to be soon gone / and 



ii 



