ENGLAND. 



699 



Statistics. 29.S1, September 29.69, October 29-71, November 

 *" "V"*' 29.64, December 29.64. From this statement it is evi- 

 dent, that the mean height of the barometer in this 

 part of the island is greater during the months of May, 

 June, .Inly, and August, than in any other four months. 

 At Dover, The barometer at Dover was observed by Mr Man- 

 tell, surgeon at that place, during the years 1789, 1790, 

 1791, 1792, and till September 1793. From lias ob- 

 servations, it was found that the mean height of this 

 instrument, on an average of these five years, was 29-90 

 inches ; the greatest height during that period 30.95 ; 

 the least 28.48 ; the greatest range 2.17; and the mean 

 annual range 1.80. 



In Che- Mr Vernon kept a journal of the height of the baro- 



thiie, meter at Middlewich in Cheshire for five years, from 



1768 to 1772, both inclusive, and he found the greatest 



height to be 31 ; the least 28; the greatest range 3; 



and the mean annual range l.<)4. 



At Kendal, The mean height of the barometer at Kendal, col- 

 lected from the observations of five years, beginning 

 July 1787, was 29.7845. In 1793, it was found to be 

 29.810, and in 1794, 29.793. The greatest height of 

 th* barometer at Keswick, during the year 1793, was 

 30.28 ; the least height 28.33 ; the mean height 29.55; 

 the greatest range 1.95; the mean monthly range 1.11. 

 According to Mr Dalton, the mean annual height at 

 this place is 29-7;). 



At York, The mean annual height of the barometer at York, 

 on an average of four years, was found to be 29.70 ; 

 the greatest height during the year 1 774, was 30.75 ; 

 the least 28.60 ; the greatest range 2.15, and the mean 



range 1.21. The mean range during the months from Statistic. 

 October to March inclusive, was 1.42, and in the six ^T**' 

 summer months, only 1.016. 



The mean height of the barometer in London, upon In London, 

 an average of two observations in every day in the year, 

 kept at the house of the Royal Society, for many years, 

 was found to be 29.88. According to Mr Kirwan, the 

 usual variation of the barometer in England is two 

 inches and a half. 



At Sidmouth, an attentive observation of the baro- At Sid- 

 meter for one year, gave the following results : Highest, mouth. 

 December 28th, 30.61 ; wind north-east. Lowest, Octo- 

 ber 19, 28.8 1 ; wind south-west. Greatest range, March 

 3, 4, 0.92; annual mean 29.93. The same year at 

 Derby; highest, December 7, 30.48; wind north-east. 

 Lowest, October 19, 28.34-; wind south. The greatest 

 range was observed in February, and was 0.65; annual 

 mean, 29.74. 



Thunder and lightning are not very common in Thunder 

 England, though it seldom happens that the summer and light- 

 passes over without their occurring. They are very rare nin g- 

 after the month of September, and scarcely ever occur 

 between December and May : it is in the months of 

 May, June, July, August, and September, particularly 

 the two last, that we usually expect thunder storms 

 of any consequence or duration. It seems to be ascer- 

 tained, that in this island, the frequency of thunder and 

 lightning is in proportion to the temperature of the air. 

 There are few observations on this subject, but the fol- 

 lowing extract from Dalton's Meteorology, pages 29 and 

 46, will bear out this assertion. 



Jan. 



Mean temperature eacli month 



Number of days when thunder was heard 



It seldom happens that storms of thunder and light- 

 ring in Engl.-snd are very fatal ; and it has not been ob- 

 served, that when they are f-.'tal, the mischief which 

 they do, is greater in the southern than in the northern 

 counties. 



The aurora borealis is neither very common nor 

 very brilliant in the southern parts of the island ; 

 but in the northern counties it is frequent, and its co- 

 ruscations very bright and beautiful. It seems to be 

 rtained, that it was very rare in any part of the 

 Maud, previous to the commencement of the 18th cen- 

 tury ; and since 17f'>, it has seldom appeared. The 

 ojilv particular observations on this part of the meteo- 

 rology of England that we possess, are supplied by 

 Mr Dalton, and they refer to Westmoreland, where 

 they were made; this philosopher found, that in 1786, 

 the number of the aurora lx>realis was 16: in 1787, 

 27; in 17S, 53; in 1789, 45; in 1790, 36; in 1791, 

 37, and in 1792, 23. In the month of January, on an 

 average of three years, the number was 1 8 ; in February, 

 'ii March, 26; in April, .32 ; in May, 21 ; in June, 

 5; in July, 2; in August, 21; in September, 23; in 

 October, 3'5; in November, 38; and in December, 9. 

 When Mr D.-ilton removed from Kendal to Manchester, 

 he continued to make his observations on this pheno- 

 menon ; and the result confirms the remark we have 

 made, that since 1793, it has seldom occurred in this 

 inland; fur in 1794, he observed only 6, in January, 

 March, and December; in 1795, only 2, both in Sep- 

 tember ; in the year 1796, none were observed ; in 

 1797, 13; in 1798, none; in 1799, 2; in 1800, 4; in 

 4; o that, during this period of eight years, 

 5 



Sept. 



Oct. Nov. 

 46 41" 



2 



Dec. 



35 



1 



only 32 were observed, whereas during the period of 

 seven years, from 1786 to 1792, the number was 237. 



CHAP. IV. 

 Skill. 



THE soils of England are so various, that it is im- General ri- 

 possible to give any general account of them ; and in marks. 

 most parts of the kingdom, they pass so frequently and 

 suddenly from one kind to another, that it would be 

 tedious, and far exceed the limits of this article, even 

 if the minute and extensive knowledge necessary for 

 such an undertaking were possessed, to describe them 

 all, in the different districts. We shall, however, en- 

 deavour to give the reader such an idea of them as will 

 enable him to comprehend their leading features, and 

 to become acquainted with the most prevalent and ex- 

 tensive soils in the different districts of England. They Various 

 may be classed under the following heads : clay, loam, kinds most 

 sand, chalk, gravel, and peat ; of the first description pre ' 

 there are two kinds; deep, dark-coloured, rich clay ; 

 and clay of a less fertile quality, of a pale colour, and 

 of comparatively small depth. The latter is by far the 

 most prevalent in England. Of loams, there are se- 

 veral varieties : strong loam, which in general has been 

 formed of clay, long under a course of tillage, and con- 

 sequently much exposed to the action of the sun and 

 air ; loam of a less tenacious nature ; calcareous loam, 

 and sandy loam; the last, like the first description 

 of loam, is rather an artificial soil, formed of sand, en- 



