A comet this year (Townsend). 



December 23. The weather being cold and freezing, 

 there likewise happened a terrible, and certainly the most 

 dreadful, storm hath in these nations been heard of in the 

 memory of man. Many persons perished in the snow on 

 the Downs (Eastori). 



Rainfall at Townley, 34-1 in. Jan., 0-3 in. Feb., 

 4-8 in. March, 0-9 in. May, i-o in. Oct., 4*2 in. 

 Nov., 5*8 in. (Townley). 



A frost began at Christmas and lasted ninety-one days, 

 and mortality increased. In dry mountainous places 

 trees escaped tolerably well. Firs and pines escaped the 

 cold (Bobarf). 



1685 Wheat, 465-. Sd. per qr. of nine bushels (Smith). 

 Wheat, 41 s. $d. per qr. (Tovey). 



January i. It proved so sharp weather and so long 

 and cruel a frost that the Thames was frozen across, 

 but the frost was often dissolved and then froze again. 

 May 24. We had hitherto not any rain for many 

 months, so as the caterpillars had already devoured all 

 the winter fruits through the whole land, and even killed 

 several greater old trees. Such two winters and summers 

 I had never known (Evelyn}. 



June and July were rainy and inclement weather (Roe}. 



June 14. Such a dearth for want of rain as never 

 was in my memory. iyth. The exceeding drought still 

 continues. 28th. We have now plentiful rain after two 

 years' excessive drought and severe winters. November 

 22. Hitherto was a very wet, warm season. Decem- 

 ber 31. The winter hitherto had been extraordinary wet 

 and mild (Evelyn). 



Rainfall at Townley, 37-8 in. Jan., ri in. Feb., 

 o'4in. June, 4-1 in. July, 5-0 in. Nov., 5-2 in. Dec., 

 5 -5 in. (Townley'}. 



1686 Wheat, 34^. per qr. of nine bushels (Smith). 

 Wheat, 30^. 2d. per qr. (Tovey). 



M 



