BY THE REV. E. F. WHEELER, M.A. 



223 



on the 22iid ; at Otterburn on the 21st and 22nd ; at North 

 Shields on the 20th and 30th ; at Acklam Hall, near Middlesbro', 

 on the 20th and 20th. 



Thunderstorms occurred at Otterburn on the 20th ; at Alston 

 on the 21st; at Wallington on the 20th, 21st, and 22nd; at 

 Greta Bridge on the 21st. 



The health of the population of the country generally was 

 very satisfactory, and a very low rate of mortality marked the 

 second quarter of 1868 equally with the first quarter of the year. 



The prevalence of scarlatina again very seriously affected the 

 number of deaths in the counties of Durham and Northumberland, 

 the estimated population and the death rate being as follows : — 





Estimated 

 Population 



for 



middle of 



1868. 



Deaths. 



Animal Rate 

 to 1000 living 



for second 



three months 



1868. 



Newcastle (Borough boundaries) ... 



127,701 



698 



21-94 



Sunderland (Municipal boundaries) 



108,762 



636 



23-45 



South Shields ditto 



62,357 



378 



24-31 



Gateshead ditto 



41,500 



236 



22-81 



Tynemouth ditto 



39,415 



226 



23-00 



July. 



" A shower in July, when the corn begins to fill. 

 Is worth a plough of oxen, and all belongs there till." 



— Old Proverb. 



Greenwich. — The month of July was remarkably warm ; the 

 temperature on July the 22nd was as high as 96*6°, a higher 

 temperature than was ever before recorded at Greenwich. It 

 reached 92° on two occasions, viz., on July the 16th and 21st, 

 and was 90° on two other days, July the 20th and 28th. In 

 1859 the temperature once reached 93° ; and in 1846 it was 

 once 93-3°. 



The mean temperature of the month was 67*5°, or 6-1'^ higher 

 than the average of the preceding ninety-seven years, and 8*1° 

 higher than July, 1867. In 1859 it was 68-1°; and in the year 



