INTRODUCTION, 



Between the years 1807 and 1859 inclusive, meteorological records were made 

 with great regularity by the late Prof. Parker Cleaveland, of Bowdoin College, at 

 Brunswick, Me., and after his death were given in charge of the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution for reduction and publication. The observations, though evidently not 

 intended by their author to be of a strictly scientific character, were yet found 

 sufficiently valuable to w"ar/ant the expenditure of considerable labor in preparing 

 them for the press. They were accorduigly placed in the hands of Mr. Charles A. 

 Schott, who has deduced from them, at the expense of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 the results and conclusions given in the following pages. 



Brunswick, Me., is on the Androscoggin River, about twenty-five st. miles N. 40° 

 E. of Portland. The college is in latitude 43° 54'. 5 and in longitude 69° 57'. 4 

 west of Greenwich. The ground around Prof. Cleaveland's residence is very 

 nearly 74 feet above high-water mark. 



The observations were made three times a day, and (as we are informed by a 

 member of the family) at the hours 7 A. M., 1 P. M., and 6 P. M. The observer 

 was frequently assisted by his brother, particularly during the latter years. The 

 records relate to the following subjects : indications of the thermometer and baro- 

 meter, direction of the wind, state of the weather, amount of rain and snow, 

 character of clouds, occurrence of thunderstorms, fogs, frost and hail, earthquakes, 

 auroras, etc. 



The regular series of observations commences with November, 1807; and is 

 complete with exception of the record of the year 1853. The barometric obser- 

 vations were found of less value for scientific purposes for want of a recorded 

 temperature of the mercury ; this, however, was nearly uniform, since the instru- 

 ment was suspended in a room, heated in winter. 



JOSEPH HENRY, 



Secretary S. I. 

 Smithsonian Institution, 

 March, 1867. 



