SECRETARY'S RKPORT. 35 



after which it appeared again. The drought was called "grcal 

 and terrible." There were also severe droughts in duly, 

 1692, and in duly and part of August, L693. The cold winter 

 of 1697, resembling that of 1641, preceded a summer marked 

 by •■ a sore and long-continued drought" in duly and August. 



Thus we It: ed over a period of eighty years of the 



ntecnth century. The years remarkable for droughts were 

 L623, L639, L644, 1647, 1662, L664, 1666, 1669, 1670, 1672, 

 L681, 1086, 1692, 1693, and 1697, in all fifteen, though a few 

 other seasons, like 1 648, were marked by dry weather. This is 

 a smaller proportion than will be found in subsequent years, and 

 the difference may be explained by the fact that the settlers at 

 first had no means of observing accurately, and it is possible 

 that there were more droughts than we have any record of, and 

 that, on account of the small portion of the country under cul- 

 tivation, comparatively little harm arose .from an ordinary 

 drought, especially as the settlers relied very much upon the 

 salt marshes and the wet meadows for hay. 



In 1704, there was a slight drought. In June, 1705, it was 

 so dry that "corn and grass perished pretty much;" and in 

 1707, "water was not to be had for man or beast without 

 great difficulty." In the year 1714, there was a drought of 

 unusual severity. The distinct recollection of it survived many 

 years after. In 1 748, we find it referred to as the Great Drought, 

 with which the one of that year is to be compared; and it is 

 known that the following spring, 1715, was one of very great 

 suffering, on account of the scarcity of provisions. 



From 1720 to the present time we have somewhat more re- 

 liable statistics in the diary of the Rev. Thomas Smith, of Port- 

 land, the journals of Dr. Holyoke and Dr. Prince, of Salem, 

 Professor Farrar, of Cambridge, and many other sources. 

 From Smith we learn that, in 1722, there was in July " an ex- 

 ceeding dry time as ever was." In 1724, he says, July 23, 

 '•' Great drought ; every thing burnt up." This drought con- 

 tinued a long time, and was very general in the vicinity of 

 Boston. 



The spring of 172(5 was wet and backward, so much so that 

 the peach and apple trees did not begin to blossom at Portland 

 till the 20th of May. Then followed a drought in dune, cans- 



