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tion twice the time necessary for it to
blow over a vessel at anchor. Twen-
ty minutes may be accounted the max-
imum of the time during which the
gusts attending these tempests general-
ly continue in any violence. But they
are commonly the forerunner of rains,
which follow very copiously for seve-
ral hours.

The intenseness of the lightning,
and rapid succession of its flashes, have
in more than one instance, in the last
three years, surpassed any exhibition
of the kind often witnessed in the tem-
perate latitudes.

In the autumn of 1822 occurred a
tornado, about twelve o'clock at night,
which was followed by a succession of
thunder showers, until daylight. The
track of the electrical clouds was di-
rectly over the settlement, and at a
very little distance above it. Between
each of the blinding flashes, and the re-
port which followed, no interval of
time could be measured. The horrors
of the night were steadily illuminated by
a pale vengeful glare, of which it is be-
yond the power of language to convey
any just impression; and the reverbe-
rations of three, and even more succes-
sive peals of thunder, could sometimes
be distinguished at the same instant.
Still, that Providence, which has since
so signally watched over the welfare of

our little community, protected every
individual, both in person and proper-
ty, from its ravages.

It may be added, in conclusion, that
the well known laws which govern the
explosions of the electric fluid com-
bined with a thunder-cloud, give them
often a different direction in tropical and
in the higher latitudes. In the former,
the earth and incumbent atmosphere,
over which the cloud passes, are found
to be charged with a homogeneous
modification of the fluid-and conse-
quently limit its action to the different
masses and divisions of the cloud it-
self. But in the latter, the surface of the
earth is oftener found negatively elec-
trified in relation to the cloud above it,
and the reverse; when the explosions
taking place from the one to the other,
threaten every projecting object in
their range with destruction.

This simple provision of the Crea-
tor, by which the tropical portion of
the globe is so effectually protected
from the natural effects of its own
lightning, cannot fail to excite in a re-
flecting mind, not stupified with sen-
suality or hardened by pride-in one,
especially, which has experimentally
attested its sufficiency, the most mov-
ing sentiments of admiration and gra-
titude.

September, 1822.

INDEX TO VOLUME FIRST.

J. A.

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