( 190 ) 



fell to the ground frozen in their flight. No bread was 

 eatable, for it was as cold and hard as a stone. This 

 extraordinary winter was followed by an equally uncom- 

 mon spring. In May no sign of verdure was yet to be 

 seen ; it was still cold in July, and vegetation was then still 

 further hindered by drought. The harvest was not over 

 till late in the autumn, and by the middle of October the 

 frost returned before the fruit in the gardens had had 

 time to ripen (Brockets " Contentment in God"). 



Remarkably severe winter to a very late period of the 

 spring ( Whistlecraft). 



January i to February 5. During all this time the 

 temperature was seldom as high as 32 . It fell as low as 

 2 F. January 5 and 6. The coldest night. Ink froze 

 in a room in a few minutes (Bern's). Gales on September 

 4, 7, and November i. 



December. Great snows, rains, storms, and severe 

 frosts, and in some places dreadful thunder and lightning. 

 Cattle, corn, and hay swept away (Lowe). 



During the spring and summer there was little rain 

 (G. White). 



February 16. The inclement season having continued 

 with little intermission for nearly eight weeks, began to 

 subside, and gradually diminished till the end of the 

 month ; but it continued still very cold, and not till the 

 2oth did the Thames begin to thaw above bridge (Boyle). 

 1714 Wheat, 46^. Sd. per qr. of nine bushels (Smith). 



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



Dry summer. Great quantity of partridges. Rainfall 

 at Plymouth, 20-354 in. (Gilbert White). 



September 8. Hurricane in Huntingdonshire ; about 

 sixty barns blown down. Also great damage done on the 

 Thames, and at Newcastle and Canterbury (Boyle). 



Rainfall at Lyndon, 157 in. February, o'6 in. March, 

 o'6 in. April, o'o in. May, o'4 in. September, 4-9 in. 

 December, 0*5 in. (Barker). 



