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1834 11mo The situation and circumstances of the middle and lower classes of the people appear with rather a gloomy aspect, there has been so few arrivals of Whale Ships of late, that a large proportion of the Mechanicks and other laborers have very little to do. Many, very many are idle from necessity. In my passing, when I notice 15 or 20 men standing in one place & many little companies in sight at other places, it brings to view similar scenes in the time of the Revolutionary War, when many suffered for want of the necessaries of life.

14th 12 mo The weather of late had quite moderate & mild for winter, frequent torrents of rain & cold & some hard North West winds. On the morning of the above date, the wind was strong at NW, and somewhat cloudy with frequent little flights of snow. The latter part & in the evening the wind increase to a heavy gale, the cold seemed to come with the wind in a remarkable manner, and continued to increase during the night. In the morning the thermometer stood at zero & did not rise many degrees during the forenoon. On reflection it appeared that no person could recollect of so cold a turn in the weather in the 12th month. The cold was so intense & so sudden that it penetrated into peoples houses & did not stop even then until it went into the bed rooms.

Capt. George Rule in the Ship Mary Nichols was out on his passage from Connecticut. After suffering with the cold & heavy wind, he with much difficulty got into the Cove, but with the loss of part of his sails And himself badly frozen, he has been confined at home ever since, and been very apprehensive he should lose one hand & one ear, but of late he appears on the recovery.