of Whitehaven in the year 1853. 259 



The mean temperature of the year 1853 is 48°*11, being 0°*79 

 below the climatic average of this place, and 2°04 below the tem- 

 perature of the year 1852. The fall of rain is 9*18 inches under 

 the average depth in 20 years, and 12*63 inches under the quantity 

 measured in 1852. There are but two years in the last 21 which 

 exceed the past in dryness, — viz., 1842 and 1844; in the former, 

 the fall of rain was 34*70 inches, and, in the latter, 36*72 inches. 



The last two years present several abnormal and very opposite 

 characteristics. On the whole, the year 1852 was one of the wettest, 

 — while 1853 was one of the driest on record at this port; yet, in 

 both years, the fall of rain in the first 6 months was greatly below the 

 normal depth. The year 1852 was one of the mildest, and 1853 

 one of the coldest in the last 21 years. In 9 months of 1852, the 

 temperature was considerably above, — and, in 8 months of 1853, it 

 was greatly below the average for the season. The year 1852 was 

 remarkable for the unusual number and almost tropical severity of 

 its thunder-storms, — the year 1853 is equally marked by an extra- 

 ordinary absence of electrical disturbances in the atmosphere, the 

 number of thunder-storms being only four, (of which three occurred 

 in January) and none of them were of a violent character. The 

 month of December, 1853, was moreover entirely exempted from 

 the tremendous gales of wind which prevailed towards the close of 

 the year 1852. 



In 1852, the amount of surface evaporation was 30*34 inches; 

 in 1853, the depth is 27*33 inches. 



In March, May, June, August, and December, 1853, the eva- 

 poration exceeds the fall of rain ; in April and September, the two 

 processes nearly balance each other ; and, in the other months of 

 the year, the depth of water precipitated greatly exceeds the amount 

 of spontaneous evaporation. 



The deaths in the town and suburb in 1853, are 437, being 89 

 in number, or 17 per cent, below the average annual number in 14 

 years, corrected for increase in population. The births (689) ex- 

 ceed the deaths by 252, and are eight above the corrected average 

 number for the same period. 



Assuming the population of the town and suburb of Whitehaven 

 to be the same as in 1851 (19,281), when the last census was taken, 

 the mortality is equivalent to 22*6 deaths per 1000, or one death 

 in every 44 inhabitants. This rate is favourably contrasted with 

 the ratio of mortality in most of the principal towns of the kingdom 

 during the past year. In Glasgow, the mortality amounted to 

 26*9 deaths in every 1000 persons, a considerably greater mor- 

 tality than in 1848, when the city was infested with cholera. 

 Nearly 50 per cent, of the deaths were those of children under 5 

 years of age. 



The sanitary condition of this town has been rapidly improving 

 every year since the water-works were completed in 1851. In 



