( 235 ) 



March 18. Great land floods overflowed the river at 

 Bath. Nov. 12. A train of meteors {Boyle). 

 1800 After a cold, backward spring, this season assumed 

 rather a favourable aspect, the early part of the summer 

 being dry and hot ; but the promising appearances were 

 soon changed into the dismal reality of renewed or con- 

 tinued scarcity. A small part only of the crops was got 

 in before heavy and almost incessant rains began. Of 

 the wheat, that part which was secured in the southern 

 districts of the island before the rains commenced, and 

 therefore in good condition, proved to be light, coarse, 

 and unproductive. But the rains came on in August, 

 and caught a considerable portion in the fields, even 

 in the south, and injured the whole of the crops in the 

 north of the island. The crops were still worse in 

 Scotland. In Mark Lane, in the course of the season, 

 wheat reached the extravagant price of 184^., and the 

 quartern loaf, for four weeks, was is. io|< Not only 

 was there this great rise in the price of corn, but every 

 article of animal food participated in the advance. 

 In the following spring, beef sold at ivd. to io\d. ; 

 mutton, iid. to i2d. ; veal, i2d. to i^d. per Ib. In 

 the past eight years there were four of great and general 

 deficiency: viz., 1794, 1795, 1799, and 1800; two 

 of bare average produce, 1793 and 1797 ; two only of 

 good crops, 1796 and 1798 ; and there were four severe 

 winters, 1794-5, 96-7, 98-9, and 99-1800, followed, 

 . as such winters usually are, by cold backward springs 

 (Tooke). 



Wheat, H3J. lod. per qr. (Official Returns}. 



Barley, 59^. lod. ; oats, 395. <\d. per qr. 



Bad season. Down wool, 2i\d. per Ib. ; beef and 

 mutton, 6|^. ; cheese, 6\d. per Ib. (Driver}. 



Bad crop, partly saved in England. In Scotland much 

 corn did not ripen, destitution and famine followed. 

 Much rain (Clarke). 



