130 ROUGH WAYS MADE SMOOTH. 



and showers. After this, to April 21, warm dry weather 

 prevailed. 



The winter of 1779-80 was rather more severe. During 

 October and November the weather was fine with intervals 

 of rain. December rainy, with frost and snow occasionally. 

 January 1780, frosty. During February dark harsh weather 

 prevailed, with frequent intervals of frost. March was 

 characterised by warm, showery, spring weather. 



November and December, 1781, were warm and rainy 

 and the same mild open weather prevailed till February 4. 

 Then followed eighteen days of hard frost, after which to 

 the end of March the weather was cold and windy, with 

 frost, snow, and rain. Thus the first two-thirds of the 

 winter of 1781-82 were exceptionally mild, while the last 

 third was cold and bleak. 



In November, 1782, we find for the first time in these 

 records an instance of early and long-continued cold. 

 ' November began with a hard frost, and continued through- 

 out, with alternate frost and thaw. The first part of December 

 frosty/ The latter half of December, however, and the 

 first sixteen days of January were mild, with much rain and 

 wind. Then came a week of hard frost, followed by stormy 

 dripping weather to the end of February. Thence to May 

 9, cold harsh winds prevailed. On May 5 there was thick 

 ice. 



The next two winters were, on the whole, the severest of 

 the entire series recorded by Gilbert White, though at no 

 time in the winter of 1783-84 was the cold greater than has 

 often been experienced in this country. White's record 

 runs thus : From September 23 to November 12, dry mild 

 weather. To December 18, grey soft weather with a few 

 showers. Thence to February 19, 1784, hard frost, with 

 two thaws, one on January 14, the other on February 5. 

 To February 28, mild wet fogs. To March 3, frost with 

 ice. To March 10, sleet and snow. To April 2, snow with 

 hard frost. 



The winter of 1784-85 was remarkable for the ex- 



