94 



MR ROBERT COCKBURN MOSSMAN ON 



Ye 



1652 



1652 

 1655 



1655 

 1655 



1659 



1664 



1667 

 1668 

 1673 

 1674 



1675 



1681 



1683-84 

 1684 

 1698 



1709 

 1715 



1717 



1722 



1723 

 1732 

 1732 



1732 



1736 

 1736 



1736 

 1738 



1740 



1740 

 1744 



Phenomenon. 



Total Solar Eclipse 



Hot summer 

 Storms 



Rains 

 Storm 



Thunderstorm 



Comet 



Drought 

 Storm 

 Rains 

 Snowstorm 



Frost 



Drought 



Frost 

 Snow 

 Cold Spring 



Dearth 



Eclipse 



Thunderstorm 



Gale 



Drought 



Snow 



Frost 



Gale and Light- 

 ning. 



Gale 

 Frost 



Aurora 

 Frost 



Hurricane 



Snowstorm 

 Thunderstorm 



REMARKS. 



March 29. Eclipse observed between 8 and 11 a.m., the sky being 

 perfectly clear. This day was long known as " Mirk Monday." 



September. Very hot summer and plentiful harvest. 



February. Severe and protracted storms, followed by a frost which 

 continued till April. 



August very wet, threatening the crops with destruction. 



December 10. Great gale from N.E. ; many ships lost and much 

 damage on land. 



September 1. Great thunderstorm with very heavy rain. Sixteen 

 mills on the Water of Leith were destroyed. 



December. Remarkable comet, " in the head the breadth of ane reason- 

 able man's hand, and sprang out in the tail the length of five or six ells." 



Severe in summer ; grass burned up. 



October. Violent storm ; many ships lost. 



Very wet summer. 



February 20 to March 4. Great fall of snow, long remembered as the 

 " Thirteen Drifty Days." 



December 18. Great cold ; " the most aged never remembered the like." 

 Ale froze. 



From March to June 24. Severe drought, with continuance of searching 

 easterly winds. 



Severe frost from November to March. 



Gale at end of October with snow and thunder. 



An " unkindly cold and winter-like spring ; " great want of food and seed ; 

 sheep and cattle died in great numbers. 



May. There was at this time a dearth of victual in Scotland. 



April 22. Total eclipse of the sun at 9 a.m. The darkness lasted over 

 three minutes. 



June 10. Severe thunderstorm. A man and woman were killed 

 instantaneously, and a gentleman so severely scorched that he died in a 

 few hours. 



September 1. A high wind shook the crops in the Lothians, doing 

 particular damage to the pease. 



Summer remarkably dry and sultry, with little wind. 



May 1. A great fall of snow. 



May 2. Ice so strong as to bear man and horse. Lambs succumbed 

 to the excessive cold. 



September 10. Violent hurricane of wind and rain between 5 and 6 p.m. 

 Very vivid lightning, " so that it appeared as if the whole horizon had 

 been in a flame (which continued for about four minutes) ; the like has not 

 been seen here in the memory of the oldest man living." — Caledonian 

 Mercury. 



November 12. Great gale from N.W. 



November 12-18. "Frost so severe that in 24 hours after it began 

 persons were walking on the lake." 



November 13. Brilliant aurora. 



In December 1738 and January and February 1739, very severe frost. 

 Snow lay deep on the ground for six weeks. 



January 14. Hurricane from W.S.W. commenced at 1 a.m. accompanied 

 with lightning. Sheet lead torn from roof of St Giles' Cathedral, and blown 

 like paper through the air. Great damage to property ; many chimneys 

 blown down, and streets strewn with tiles and slates. Trees which had 

 stood at Penicuik for 200 years blown to the ground. 

 May 4. Great quantity of snow. 



August 13. Severe thunderstorm ; several people and cattle stunned; 

 very heavy rain and hail fell, flooding streets and cellars. The steeple of 

 Liberton church was struck by lightning, and in the east end of the church 

 a smooth round hole was made in one of the windows by a hailstone, some 

 of which were nearly 2 inches in diameter. 



