of Whitehaven in the year 1853. 257 



August. — A cool, but fine and dry month. Rain fell on 11 days 

 only, and the sun shone out on every day but two. The tempera- 

 ture is 0°7 under the average of 20 years, and 2 0, 17 under that of 

 the same month in 1852. 



The evaporation and rain fall are identical in amount (3*12 

 inches). The grain harvest commenced in this neighbourhood on 

 the 19th. 



The Comet discovered by Klinkerfues at G-ottingen, on the 10th 

 of June, suddenly became visible to the naked eye in its descent to 

 the perihelion, on the evening of the 23d of August, about 8 o'clock. 

 Owing to the almost continuous presence of cloud in the north-west, 

 the comet was seen at this Observatory on two evenings only, those 

 of the 23d and 26th. On the latter occasion, the nucleus was equal 

 in lustre to a star of the first magnitude, and its well-defined para- 

 bolic tail was probably 6° or 8° degrees in length. The angle of 

 Position of the axis of the tail with the meridian, by a mean of 

 three observations secured through openings in the clouds, was found 

 to be 60°*2. The nucleus of the comet was detected l»y Mr Hartnup 

 of Liverpool, at mid-day on the 3d of September, when it attained 

 the perihelion. 



September. — A fine, dry, and seasonable month. The tempera- 

 ture is identical with the average of 20 previous years. The sun 

 shone out on 25 days, and exactly half the entire number of days 

 were free from rain, The evaporation and fall of rain again very 

 nearly balance each other. 



On the evening of the 2d, at 9 o'clock, there was a brilliant but 

 irregular and imperfect Auroral arch at an altitude of 50°, in the 

 direction of the magnetic east and west. The extremities were 

 turned upwards towards the zenith. The phenomenon more re- 

 sembled an illuminated white cloud, than the light usually exhibited 

 by the Aurora Borealis. It disappeared in about 15m. after the 

 writer's attention was first called to it, and was succeeded by volumes 

 of auroral mist extending from east to west, which emitted faint mag- 

 netic flashes. 



Third Quarter. — The temperature of the summer quarter is o, 7 

 below the average of 20 years. The deaths in the town and suburb 

 are 73, a smaller number than has been registered in any previous 

 September quarter, except in 1852, when the deaths were exactly 

 the same in number. The deaths are 43, or 36*7 per cent, under 

 the corrected average number. 



The rate of mortality for the entire kingdom was also under the 

 average rate for the season. 



October. — Mild and wet, more rain having fallen than in any 

 other month of 1853. The temperature is 1°'8 above its average 

 value. On the 29th, at 9 p.m., a single auroral streamer in 

 WSW., extending to the zenith. The sun shone out on 23 days, 

 although more or less rain fell on 24 days in the month. 



November. — A mild month, and less damp than usual. The 



