Earthquake  at  Manchefter.  229 
deftroyed  moft  of  the  early  fruit;  particularly  one  in  the 
middle  of  June  was  fo  fevere  as  to  kill  whole  fields  of 
potatoes;  an  inftance  fcarcely  ever  known  at  that  feafon. 
In  July  the  ground  was  refre  filed  for  a fortnight  with 
frequent  and  plentiful  Ihowers,  fucceeded  by  about  an 
equal  period  of  dry  and  warm  weather.  Throughout 
moft  of  the  month  of  Auguft  the  rains  were  violent  and 
the  air  cold.  Vegetation  was  backward,  and  all  kinds  of 
fruit  crude  and  infipid.  On  the  fifth  of  September  the 
weather  became  warm  and  ferene,  and  continued  fo  with 
an  Eafterly  wind,  except  on  the  ninth,  when  fome 
fhowers  fell,  till  the  day  of  the  earthquake,  and  for  fome 
days  after.  Vegetation  now  became  more  quick.  An 
electrical  machine  worked  with  uncommon  vigour  the 
day  before  the  earthquake ; but  was  obferved  to  a£t  as 
weakly  two  days  earlier.  During  the  fummer  I do  not 
recoiled  above  two  thunder-ftorms;  nor  was  the  aurora 
borealis  by  any  means  frequent.  A fire-ball  was  ob- 
ferved about  two  months  before ; and  a water-fpout  fell 
on  the  23d  of  July,  near  Huddersfield,  in  the  Weft- 
riding  of  Yorklhire,  which  did  confiderable  damage  to 
the  country^. 
The 
(a)  It  is  Father  beccaRia9s  ©pinion,  that  in  a thunder-fiorm  the  clouds 
&rve  as  eondu&ors  to  convey  the  ele&ric  fluid  from  thcfe  places  of  the  earth 
G g 2 which 
