Chap. V. ON THE WEATHER. 473 



the earth remained dry and cracked in' its furface, as it generally is 

 in July and Auguft: but kickily it was moifl beneath that upper' 

 cruft. The barometer was always high enough, and role on the 

 15th to 28 inches. 



May. 

 On the 3d, the fky was clouded all the day: diflant thunder was 

 heard; but no rain fell, though greatly wanted for the fpring 

 corn. 



On the 5th, it froze pretty hard: the vineyards which lay low were 

 greatly damaged : thofe upon high grounds fuffered little. On the 8th, 

 it hailed: on the i8th, wehad neither thunder nor rain; but at 

 Etarhpes, which is 2 1 miles from Petiviers, there was a greai; 

 ftorm, which chill'd the air fo much, that people were obliged to 

 make fires. 



The frofls which happened from tinie to time during all thi?; 

 month, were hard enough to delboy all the vines: but, as I ob- 

 ferved before, thofe upon the high grounds were but little hurt -, 

 which may be imputed to the great forwardnefs they were in : for, 

 in general, the buds of the vine do not begin to open till about the 

 loth of May; whereas their leaves were this year, at that time, as 

 broad as one's hand. The flicker which thefe leaves afforded, added 

 to the more than common hardnefs of the buds, was probably what 

 prevented the froft from doing much hurt; efpecially as numbers of 

 buds were frozen at the point. 



Notwithftanding the frofts we have been fpeaking of, the cater- 

 pillars and other infeils continued to do great mifchief ; infomuch 

 that the pear-trees, and almoft all others, were left as bare as in the 

 middle of winter : and afterwards thofe infei5ls, unable to fubfift anv 

 longer there, fell upon the peach, cherry, and other trees, which 

 they very rarely attack. 



Tho' the earth was very dry all this month, the fky having been 

 frequently clouded, the oats which had been benefited by the rains 

 in the preceding month, continued to rife, and the others increafed 

 in ftrength. 



Great numbers of children were attacked with violent hooping- 

 coughs, of which feveral died. Some grown perfons too were at- 

 tacked with the fame diforder. 



Ppp June. 



