THE METEOROLOGY OF EDINBURGH. 



93 



APPENDIX OF EEMARKABLE ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA. 



The appended catalogue of phenomenal atmospheric occurrences in Edinburgh has 

 been compiled from a variety of sources. Some of the notices prior to 1740 have been 

 obtained from such works as Chambers' Domestic Annals, Low's Natural Phenomena 

 and Chronology of the Seasons, and Short's General Chronological History of the Air. 

 The method generally adopted, subsequent to 1764, was to examine the manuscript 

 notes of the various Edinburgh observers, extract anything of interest, and go to the 

 newspapers for further particulars. Copious extracts were made from such papers as 

 the Caledonian Mercury, Scots Magazine, Edinburgh Magazine, Edinburgh Advertiser, 

 and Scotsman. Condensed abstracts were then prepared and entered in the catalogue. 

 The primary object in compiling this list is to place on record the more noteworthy 

 and remarkable atmospheric occurrences. In this way, should any apparently un- 

 wonted phenomenon occur, we shall at once be able to form an opinion as to whether it 

 is unprecedented or otherwise. In dealing with such a long period it would be sanguine 

 to imagine that every occurrence of a phenomenal nature has been brought to light. 

 If any omissions come to the reader's notice. I should be much obliged for a 

 reference. Care has been taken to avoid giving facts that are readily apparent from an 

 inspection of the various tables scattered throughout the paper. 



Year. 



Phenomenon. 



REMARKS. 



1575 and 

 1582 



1595 



Drought 



Snow 



1595 

 1596 

 1598 

 1609 



Dearth 

 Storms 

 Eclipse 

 Storm 



1614-15 



Frost 



1615 



Snow 



1624-25 

 1625 

 1625 



Frost 

 Storm 

 Rains 



1627 

 1633 



Rains 

 Snow 



1634-35 



Frost and Storms 



Maitland informs us that in these years there was such scarcity of 

 water that the Magistrates strictly prohibited all the brewers from drawing 

 any out of the town wells, " but to fetch what they had occasion for from 

 the South Loch or Meadows." 



March 10. Commenced " ane horrible tempest of snaw, whilk lay upon 

 the ground till the 14[th] of April thereafter." 



Dearth owing to failure of the harvest. 



July 1 to August 6. Severe gales ; no less than sixty-six ships lost at Leith. 



February 17. Total eclipse of sun between 9 and 10 a.m. 



January 5. Severe storm ; people lifted off the ground by the violence 

 of the wind. 



Very intense frost. " In February the Tay was frozen over so strongly 

 as to admit of passage for both man and horse." 



March 2. A great snowstorm ; all communication stopped throughout 

 the country. 



Hard frost from Martinmas 1624, which lasted till February 23, 1625. 



March 28-30. Severe storm ; many vessels lost at Leith. 



Heavy rains prevailed from the middle of May till the end of June, 

 doing serious injury to the crops. 



July. Great falls of rain. 



February 7. " There began a great storm of snow, with horrible high 

 winds." The ordinary ebb and flow of the tide interrupted for twenty- 

 four hours at Leith and other places on the East Coast. 



The winter is described as " the most tempestuous and stormy that has 

 been seen in Scotland these sixty years past." Snow lay from the 9th of 

 December to the 9th of March, the fall being particularly heavy from 

 January 26 to February 16. 



