An exceptionally wet day: 190 years ago

You think Monday was wet?

John Burrows (sometime John Burrows Honey) was in a party exploring the route of the Rideau Canal in July 1827. He kept a diary, the original of which is in the Historical Society of Ottawa collection at the Ottawa City Archives, and has been transcribed in Sights and Surveys published by HSO in 1979.

The following are extracts on weather from the diary for Thursday 26 July 1827:

- Before leaving this place inspected the state of our provisions and found them a little injured by the rain, and divided the wet from the dry bread, and used the injured first.
- The 3 officers, Mr MacTaggart landed here and took shelter in Mr S. Burrit's house from the pelting pityless rain.
- Still the storms continued.
- Mr MacTaggart and party continued to explore under the rain for we could not be more wet.
- Though with wet and cold very uncomfortable, anxiety made us press on ...
- At the foot of Merrick's Rapids a thunder storm drove us under the hospitable roof of blacksmith, Mr. Kelly. 

Details of local weather so far in the past are rare in the Ottawa valley. I came across this while exploring for my talk on Ottawa Weather History to the HSO on 27 October.