[ 6 4 ] 
Of all the months in the year, fingly taken, 
Oftober is the moft, and April the leaft fatal to 
the inhabitants of Eaftham. Whereas the three 
laft months of the year appear to be the moft 
; healthful at Royton ; although a very large quan- 
tity of rain ufually falls there, during this feafon. 
For the wind, at this time, being generally wefterly, 
the clouds are intercepted by the high mountains, 
and difcharge themfelves in frequent and heavy 
fhowers. At townley, which is fituated under 
the fame chain of hills, and is not very far diftant 
from Royton, 42 inches of rain fall, at a medium, 
every year. The quantity of rain, at Manchefter, 
which is farther removed from the mountains, is 
about 33 inches communibus anriis . It has been 
oblerved, by a very ufeful writer, that the moift 
feafon s, in Great Britain, and Ireland are more re- 
markably free, from epidemic difeafes, than the 
dry ones ; and that ftorms, the ufual concomitants 
of rain, are attended with more health and lefs 
iicknefs, than calm weather ; probably becaufe they 
diffipate the vapours, which, by ftagnation, might 
prove an occafion of various diftempers I 
foall not prefume to determine, that thefe obfer- 
vations account for the fuperior healthinefs of the 
laft months of the year at Royton ; but they 
certainly fhould remove the prejudice, which is 
too generally entertained, againft the wetnefs of 
the climate in Eancalhire, and other weftern 
counties of England. For the bounties of Provi- 
dence are difpenfed, with an equal as well as with 
[jf] Rutty’s Chronological Hiftory of Weather. 
2 a liberal 
