| Description | Daily readings of temperature, usually several per day, taken by a Cary spirit thermometer, with notes on wind direction, and general diary observations on snow, rain, cloud cover and other weather events. Occasional notices of aurora borealis, and minimal natural history observations [29 May 1794 'Musketoes seen']. On 24 September 1794 the entry reads 'Sailed from York Fort'; therefore the latter observations are aboard ship, but with no positional information until landfall at Stromness, Scotland, on 23 October 1794. Colen notes that he 'Left the Orknies' on 30 October and the diary concludes on 3 November. Signed 'Errors Excepted Josh. Colen'.
Commencing: 'Meteorological Observations at York Fort, Hudson's Bay 1793 a 1794'. With various amendments in ink, including position 'Lat. 57 2 N Long 93 - W'.
Stamped upper right, p.65: 'Soc. Reg. Lond. ex dono Auctoris', and with a note in ink, 'Febr. 19 1795'. |