2 ® ON THE NATURE OF THE SUN. 



the clouds, fo as to generate pores, corrugations, and all the 



folar changes, and mod probably to maintain phenomena in 



the fun's atmofphere, which in ours would be mere tranfitory 



corru (cations, like thole of the aurora borealis, but are there, 



on account of the greater denfity, fo comprefled as to be- 



Inquiry whether come much more efficacious and permanent. If this account 



SaSVnd^ ° f the foIar a PP eafances fliall be well founded, he concludes 



light be depend- tnat tnere will be no difficulty in afcertaining the actual ftate 



ant on thefe f the fun with regard to its energy in giving light and heat : 

 phenomena ? , ,. , • .„ . , , , 



and that nothing will now remain but to decide the queftion 



which will naturally occur, whether there be actually any 

 confiderable difference in the quantity of light and heat 

 emitted from the fun at different times. To afcertain this he 

 has recourfe to his journal. 

 Journal of folar In the firft place he gives a fet of obfervations, in which the 

 erva ons. fig ns of fcarcity of luminous matter in the fun were apparent ; 

 namely, in general a deficiency of the luminous or empyreal 

 clouds, no ridges, nodules, corrugations, or openings. This 

 period lafted from the year 1795 to 1800. A fecond (ct f 

 commencing in the year 1800, affords indications of a con- 

 Opinion that the trary nature. He expreffes his opinion that the character of 

 feafon * j* re S°" the feafons may be greatly dependent upon thefe phenomena, 

 ■variation in the But, in order to afcertain by fome correfpondent event or 

 * ua * confequence that the feafons have been moft productive when 



Recurrence to the folar fpots were abundant, he recurs to the aftronomy of 

 facts and^o ^ Lalande for the folar appearances, and to the table in Adam 

 Adam Smith for Smith's Wealth of Nations for the prices of wheat during the 

 the feafons fame periods. The remits are, upon the whole, favourable 



to hit theory ; though every cautious inveftigator into the 

 laws of the univerfe mutt fee that it is greatly in want of the 

 fupport of obiervation in both refpecls. The Doctor, with 

 his ufual candour, ftates fome of the difficulties of his fubjecl, 

 and concludes by adding, *that his prediction of plentiful 

 harvefts from the prefeni thriving ftate of the folar conftii ution 

 ought not to be relied on with more confidence, than the 

 facts and arguments he has prefented may entitle it to. And 

 from motives of the fame kind, I have alfo taken the liberty 

 to condenfe this part of his paper rather more than the 

 other. 



IN 



