Shops on the Thames ( ). 



Dreadful thunderstorms July 21 and 22 (Boyle). 

 Aurora borealis, February 5, March 30 and 31, April i 

 and 2, and September 20. 



December. Very mild (Miller). 



1718 Wheat, 385. io</. per qr. of nine bushels (Smith). 

 Wheat, 34J. 6d. per qr. (Tovey). 



Hot and dry summer. Barley harvested without rain 

 (Lisle). 



Hot summer. Severe winter (Penny Magazine). 



A comet (Townsend). 



Seine frozen over ( ) 



Snow fell for several days in succession early in 

 January, and a very hard frost for a long time besides, 

 snow very often, and all things very dear. Two turnips 

 sold for a penny, and coals at 40^. a qr. ; and all these 

 things, notwithstanding so dear, were very bad in kind 

 (Old Book). 



Aurora borealis, September 5 and 6, and December 19 

 (Lowe). 



1719 Wheat, 35^. per qr. of nine bushels (Smith). 

 Wheat, 31.?. id. per qr. (Tovey). 



Great frost (Lowe). 



Dry and cold spring. Exceeding hot summer. Hay 

 and straw so short that cows sold at Michaelmas at 30^. 

 each, which generally make 4. Fat pigs are 4.?. 6d. per 

 score, bulls tenpence per score. The following spring 

 beef made fivepence per Ib. (Lisle). 



May 19. A great meteor at 8 p.m. (Old Almanack). 



Wet autumn, and mild weather to the beginning of 

 February (Lisle). 



March 19. A surprising meteor was seen about 8 p.m. 

 from all parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Its 

 duration was not above half a minute. At Exeter its 

 light exceeded that of the sun at noon-day. It seemed 

 to break like a sky rocket into sparks of red fire, and 



