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EXPLANATION OF THE PRECEDING JOURNAL.

THE observations in the preceding journal were made by two celebrated opticians, Mr John Carey and Mr Robert Bancks. To the first of these gentlemen we owe the observations contained in col. 2, 4, 6, 10, 12; and to the second, the observations recorded in col. 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11. The journal kept by Mr Carey is the first in which the dryness of the air has been determined by Mr Leslie's hygrometer, the only instrument of the kind in which any confidence ean be placed. It is much to be regretted that this valuable instrument is

not more universally used in meteorological observations, as well as for various other purposes to which it is applicable. But, even among men of science, there is a prejudice against new inventions, which nothing but time and necessity can overcome. The instruments which are at present in use for ascertaining the humidity of the atmosphere, are completely fallacious, and ought long ago to have been superseded by the ingenious instrument with which Mr Leslie has enriched philosophy and the arts.

METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, &c.

FOR THE YEAR 1809.

JANUARY.

On the morning of Wednesday the 18th of January, the shock of an earthquake was distinctly felt at Alloa, in Scotland, and the noise and tremulous motion were very perceptible along the base of the Ochil Hills.

Sunday the 22d of this month was one of the coldest days in the memory of the present generation. At 8 o'clock in the morning, the thermometer in Edinburgh stood at 11°. At a short distance from town, the mercury stood so low as 8°; and in Queen street, which faces the north, it was observed at 8°. In the evening, it was perceived as low as 5° at Foxhall, about 8 miles west of Edinburgh. The large wet dock at Leith, though filled with salt water, was so completely frozen over, that the sailors went upon the ice from one ship to another. On the 22d, the thermometer in London fell to 21°, which was its lowest position in the month of January. The intense cold began to abate on the 26th. On the 27th, the mercury in the thermometer rose 15° above the freezing point, and heavy showers of rain

having fallen on the 29th, the snow was so rapidly dissolved, that all the level parts of the country were laid under water. The devastation committed in the south of England by this sudden thaw was unusually great. The views upon the Thames from Henley to London were the most interesting that could possibly be seen. To the writer of this arti cle, who was then travelling from Oxford to London, the whole course of the river had the appearance of a succession of the finest lakes, arran ged in the most picturesque manner.

On the last day of this month, and on the 1st of February, the shocks of an earthquake were distinctly felt in the West Highlands, particularly at Arisaig and Moidart.

On the 30th of January, at 2 o' clock p. m., there was a fall of me teoric stones in Caswell county, New Connecticut. Their descent was dis tinctly perceived for a considerable distance round, and two reports were heard at Hillsborough, a distance of 30 miles. A fragment, weighing a pound and three-quarters, struck a tree where some wood-cutters were at work: They immediately ran home,

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Vegetation, which was advancing with such rapidity, received a severe shock from the sharp frosts between the 3d and 5th of this month. On the 27th, snow fell in a considerable quantity, and the continuance of the nocturnal frosts through the greater part of the month destroyed the blossoms of several fruit-trees, and gave a shrivelled appearance to the young leaves of many shrubs and flowers. On the evening of the 13th of April, at 9 o'clock, there was a good deal of lightening observed in London. Next morning, at half an hour past 6 o'clock, there was a good deal of thunder, and at 1 o'clock of the same day hail and lightening came on. Towards the end of the month there were several great falls of snow.

MAY.

On the 9th of this month, swallows were observed near Edinburgh, and swifts and martins on the 16th. On the 17th, explosions of thunder were heard at Edinburgh for the first time this season, and they were repeated on the 21st.

On the 2d of May there was a good deal of hail in London in the forenoon, which was followed by lightening and thunder. On the evening of the 14th, at 11 o'clock, lightening was again observed; and on the evening of the 17th, the lightening at London was accompanied with a high wind, and with a sultry heat. Ŏn the afternoon of the 19th, there was at London a tremendous storm of thunder, lightening, and heavy rain.

On the afternoon of the 28th of May, a very sudden diminution of temperature was experienced in Edinburgh. On the 29th, a heavy fall of snow and hail commenced, and continued at intervals on the 30th and 31st, so as to cover the ground to the depth of a foot and a half in some places.

JUNE.

Violent rains and strong easterly winds succeeded the late storm of hail and snow, and produced great havock in the gardens.

JULY.

There was a storm of thunder, lightening, and heavy rain, at London, at 2 o'clock p. m. on the 4th, the thermometer retiring 4°. A si milar storm took place on the 9th, at 11 o'clock at night, and also on the evenings of the 25th and 26th.

AUGUST.

On the 3d of this month, at half

past 7 o'clock in the evening, a severe thunder storm passed over Edinburgh and Leith, at the last of which places the lightening killed a boy.

On the 10th of August, during the night, there was a good deal of thunder, lightening, and rain at London. During this storm, about half past one o'clock in the morning, the whole of the sky appeared to be covered with one unbroken mass of black pitchy cloud, in which no break was visible, even during the vivid flashes of lightening, which seemed to come from an inferior region of the sky. Over, or rather below this dark surface, were spread light and flocky clouds, broken into larger fleeces, and apparently luminous throughout. They seemed full of little dazzling and dancing specks of light, that sometimes shone as stars through a misty cloud. Some of those increased gradually, and then died away; but one of them increa. sed to such a degree as to equal Venus in size and lustre. This luminous body moved with considerable rapidity round the edge of that mass in which it appeared. Another brilliant meteor of the same kind appeared in a similar cloud at a considerable distance. It was distinctly observed by Mr Staveley, to whom we are indebted for an account of the preceding phenomena, that no lighten ing broke from the luminous clouds, but that they emitted a light of a pale phosphoric colour.

On the 11th, at half past nine o'clock in the evening, a meteor appeared at Edinburgh in the northwest. It was seen at the same time in Glasgow.

On the 12th, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, there was at Edinburgh a great storm of thunder and lightening, accompanied with torrents of

rain.

On the 13th, at 1 o'clock p. m., there was another storm of thunder and lightening, with heavy showers of rain and half-melted hail.

On the 17th, lightening appeared at London in the east in a dark and lurid sky.

On the 25th, at 1 and 3 o'clock in the afternoon, a good deal of thun der was heard at London.

On the 30th, in the evening, light. ening appeared at London in the east.

September.

During the greater part of this month, the weather was very variable, and by no means favourable for the operations of the harvest in this part of the kingdom.

On the 4th, at 1 o'clock P. there was thunder in London.

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On the 19th of this month, between and 6 o'clock in the evening, appeared a meteor in the south, at the distance of about a quarter of a mile from the small commune of Breziau, in France. Those who observed this meteor as sert, that it was about a quarter of an hour in collecting, and that after it was completely formed, it began to move in a northerly direction, and was accompanied with a frightful noise like the rolling of a chariot, or the noise of rain driven violently by the wind, and was afterwards attend. ed with thunder and lightening. After moving for some time in the same rection, the meteor was suddenly changed into a column of fire, which, with the fog that accompanied it, appeared to rise to the heavens. It continued about a quarter of an hour in this state, at a short distance from the forest of Beaulieu, and at last sunk a little, and disappeared, leaving behind it a thick fog without any

smell.

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ОСТОВЕР.

This month was one of the finest in the year. Even on the 30th the ash trees had not lost their foliage, and the bat was still flying about in the evening.

NOVEMBER.

The weather was so open and mild that several jarganelle trees were covered with a second shew of blossom, and full-blown roses were gathered in the second week of this month.

A pretty hard frost began on the 18th, and on the 19th the mercury was so low as 22°; but on the 20th, the weather again became mild.

DECEMBER.

The whole of this month was uncommonly mild, without any storms of

snow.

On the 4th of this month a severe shock of an earthquake was felt at the Cape of Good Hope. On the 1st, 2d, and 3d of December, the weather was extremely hot and op. pressive. On the evening of the 3d of December the wind suddenly veer.

ed about from N. W. to S. E., accompanied with a thick and obscure atmosphere, and during a considerable portion of the evening dead calms prevailed. On the 4th, at noon, the thermometer was at 76, and the wind S. E. and moderate; but increasing towards the evening, when it degenerated into a perfect calm. At half past ten o'clock the first violent shock took place, and lasted about two minutes, accompanied with loud subterraneous noises, and after the interval of a minute, a still more violent concussion took place, lasting about two or three minutes, and attended with a still louder sound, proceeding, apparently, like the first, from the centre of the Ward or Devil's Mountain. Before three o'clock in the morning, no fewer than 13 shocks took place, running always in the same. direction, but gradually diminishing in power. On the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th of December small shocks were distinctly felt. During the severe concussions on the 4th and 5th, the watches and clocks lost a good deal of time; a fire-ball was observed over the mountains in the west; various shooting stars appeared; the firmament was completely free of clouds, and the barometer, which was 29.80, fell gradually,

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