142 NATURAL HISTORY AND TOPOGRAPHY OF GROTON, MASS. 



at that period both Librarian of Harvard College and Regis- 

 ter of Probate for Middlesex County. Dr. Oliver Prescott, 

 of Groton, was then Judge of Probate ; and it is not improb- 

 able that the writer of the article was visiting in his family, 

 when the account was written. 



To THE PUBLIC. 



ON Friday, May 19, 1780, at six o'clock in the morning, at 

 Pepperrell, the peals of thunder were loud and frequent, 

 attended with heavy rain. At seven o'clock the rain and thunder 

 had ceased ; but the sky continued cloudy. Between nine and ten 

 o'clock the clouds were observed to thicken, and to receive con- 

 tinual reinforcements from the low lands. Before ten the darkness 

 had sensibly increased, till it became difficult to read an almanack 

 in a room with two windows. At eleven o'clock candles were 

 lighted at Groton, and at half past eleven the darkness was so 

 great in the meeting-house, where a court was then sitting, that 

 it was difficult to distinguish countenances at the smallest dis- 

 tance, notwithstanding the great number of windows usual in such 

 buildings. At twelve the darkness was greatest and a little rain 

 fell. In the street the appearance was like the beginning of 

 evening, as candles were seen burning in all the houses. The clouds 

 were thinnest at the north, which excited the idea of an Aurora 

 Borealis. At the northeast the clouds were very thick, and so 

 low that hills could not be seen at the distance of half a mile. 

 Southwesterly, hills might be clearly seen at the distance of twenty 

 miles ; but the intermediate space was so shaded, that it was im- 

 possible to distinguish woodland from pasture. At half past twelve 

 the clouds, having been hitherto detached, begun to embody at 

 such an height, that all the hills became visible, and the country 

 round exhibited a most beautiful verdure. At one the clouds became 

 uniformly spread, and it was not darker than is usual on a cloudy day. 

 The same weather continued through the whole afternoon, except 

 that the sun was seen for a few minutes at Acton, about three o'clock. 

 At eight in the evening the darkness was so great as to render travel- 

 ling impracticable. Although the moon rose nearly full about nine 

 o'clock, yet it did not give light enough to enable a person to dis- 

 tinsuish between the heavens and the earth. 



The detached appearance of the clouds in the forenon is alone 

 sufficient to account for the darkness : For as soon as the clouds 



