| Description | Commencing 'Officiosisimis tuis V. Cl. septimo Augusti datis haud statim respondi, ut scilicet, ne tedio forem unica epistola, ob tuam regisque societatis erga me benevolentiam gratiarum actionis rependerem, et simul diarum meteorologicum elapsi jame anni MDCCXXVII a me digenstum transmitterem'. [I did not reply immediately to yours of the seventh of August, so that I would not tire myself with a letter only to thank you and the Royal Society for their kindness towards me, but rather at the same time to transmit what I had said about the days in meteorology that had passed in the year 1727].
The tables of meteorological observations record the dates of readings [by Gregorian and Julian calendars], barometrical pressure, temperature, wind direction and speed, general weather observations, and rainfall; with a final column noting the activity of the volcano Vesuvius. The observations commence on 1 January 1727 and end on 31 December 1727 [12 January 1727 and end on 11 January 1728]. Headed: 'Diarium Meteorologicum Neapolitanum Anni MDCCXXVII'. The manuscript concludes with tables of monthly totals and averages from the barometer and rainfall readings.
The information was summarised in ‘An abstract of the meteorological diaries, communicated to the Royal Society, with remarks upon them…part IV’, by William Derham, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, v.38 (1734), pp.405-412. The observations were in response to the paper: 'Invitatio ad observationes meteorologicas communi consilio instituendas', by James Jurin, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, v.32 (1723), pp.422-427.
Endorsed [p.14]: 'read Febr. 22 1727'. Recorded in the Royal Society's Journal Book for the meeting of 22 February 1727: 'Dr. Jurin communicated a Letter in Latin from Dr: Nic: Cyrillus Professor of Physick at Naples dated Janry. 1 1727 together wth. a Diary of the weather for the year 1727...', JBO/14, pp.182-183. |