168 
POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
water over an extent of ocean exceeding 600 miles in latitude 
and 1,000 in longitude, situated so importantly in relation to 
the western parts of Europe. It is at least a remarkable coin- 
cidence that in November and December 1821, and in Januarv 
1822, the state of the weather was so unusual in the southern 
parts of Great Britain and in France as to have excited general 
observation. In the meteorological journals of the period it is 
characterised as 4 most extraordinarily hot, damp, stormy, and 
oppressive ; ’ it is stated that 4 an unusual quantity of rain fell 
both in November and December, but particularly in the latter 
that 4 the gales from the W. and SW. were almost without inter- 
mission,’ and that in December the mercury in the barometer 
was lower than it had been known for thirty-five years before.” 
Now if we compare these statements with our experience of 
the winter we have just come through we shall find that the 
principal features in 1821-2 to which Sir E. Sabine refers were 
manifested in an exaggerated degree in 1876-7. We are told 
by Prof. Daniell that the mean pressure of December 1821 was 
considerably below the mean. 29*467 in. is given as the value,, 
but it does not appear whether these figures are reduced 
to sea level or not. Now the mean pressure of last December 
was 29*486, being nearly half an inch lower than its average 
figure for the month, 29*943 ins., as given by Buchan for eightv- 
nine years’ observations. The extraordinary low reading in 
1821 was 28*12 ins. December 24 ; and we had 28*33 at 11 a.m. 
December 4, 1876. 
As regards the rainfall, the subjoined figures will show how 
much worse off we are now than our fathers were in 1822. The- 
actual figures for London for the respective periods are — 
1821 2. 
Xovember . . 442 ins. 
December . . 4*82 „ 
January . . . 0-64 „ 
February. . . 098 „ 
Total for four months 10*86 ins. 
Average of 60 rears. 
1876-7. 1S13-72. 
2*63 ins. 2*28 ins. 
5*82 „ 1*93 „ 
4*69 „ 1*91 „ 
1*73 „ 1*50 „ 
14*87 ins. 7*62 ins. 
We have, therefore, had nearly double our average quantity as 
given by Mr. Dines, and four inches more than fell at the same 
period fifty-five years ago, and attracted so much attention then. 
As regards extraordinarily high temperatures and successive pre- 
valence of storms, we need hardly say that Sir E. Sabine’s de- 
scription falls short of our recent experience. 
Now let us see what tale we have to tell of sea temperature 
in the autumn to compare with the experiences of Franklin and 
of Sabine. It is too early yet for us to have received all onr 
information for so recent a date, as the logs of outward bound 
