“ The spring visiteth not these quarters so timely as the eastern parts. Summer imparteth a very temperate heat, recompensing its slow fostering of the fruits with their kindly ripening. Autumn bringeth a somewhat late harvest, especially to the middle of the shire, where they seldom inn their corn before Michaelmas. Winter, by reason of the south's near neighbourhood, and sea's warm breath, favoureth it with a milder cold than elsewhere, so as upon both coasts the frost and snow come very seldom, and make a speedy departure.”[1]
Atmospheric Pressure.─From considering the topographical and other relations of this district, and more particularly (as will hereafter appear) its great humidity and the great force and variability of its winds, some peculiarity might be expected in the barometrical results. As far as my observations have gone, however, I have ascertained nothing further than that the general altitude of the barometer is less, and its range smaller, than in other parts of the Kingdom with which I have compared it.
The following table gives a comparative view of the barometrical results, for three years, at London and Penzance:─
| London. | Penzance. | |
| Mean height, | 29.82 | 29.61 |
| Mean of the greatest heights of each month, | 80.26 | 30.09 |
| ────────── least | 29.17 | 29.08 |
| Absolute Maximum in three years, | 80.62 | 80.42 |
| ──────── Minimum, | 28.22 | 28.28 |
| Extreme range in the period, | 2.40 | 2.14 |
| Mean annual range, | 1.95 | 1.68 |
| Mean monthly range, | 1.07 | 1.00 |
| Mean of the greatest range for each month, | 1.24 | 1.22 |
- ↑ Carew's Survey of Cornwall, p. 15.
