

with Meteoric Phenomena and 'prevalent Disorders, 297 



extraordinary that, when immense masses of burning matter 

 are propelled into the atmosphere, such a rarefaction should 

 take place as would produce a sudden suction of the colder 

 air from all points towards the focal heat of the ascending 

 column. And there is direct evidence on the point, that 

 violent tempests of wind have frequently followed the out- 

 break of a volcano. Accounting for winds as we may, or for 

 hurricanes and tornadoes as we can, there is no doubt, I think, 

 that a sudden heating of air in a given spot, however oc- 

 casioned, is the leading cause, and why a hurricane cannot be 

 produced by a volcano I know not.* A gentleman, now de- 

 ceased (the late Rev. Sir R. Hughes, Bart., of East Bergholt 

 Lodge, Suffolk), who had travelled far, and was a person of 

 discerning and reflecting habits, once told me, that he had 

 made the observation that all sudden violent storms of wind 



* As another connecting link in the argument, it may be observed, that 

 hurricanes and storms of wind are frequently connected with electrical 

 phenomena. Henderson {Journal of a Residence in Iceland, vol. i. p. 358.) 

 says that the aurora borealis is in Iceland invariably followed by a hurri- 

 cane from the north. In the British Islands I have always observed that 

 it is followed by a wind and rain from the southward; and this is con- 

 firmed by other observers. Vide Winn on Aurora, Philosophical Trans- 

 actions, 1774.) Halley considered that the aurora was connected with 

 volcanoes. {Phil. Trans., No. 347.) The years 1716 and 1737 were cele- 

 brated by appearances of the aurora, which were seen all over Europe ; 

 and in both those years, and at the exact period of time, volcanic eruptions 

 and earthquakes were contemporaneous with the northern lights : Iceland 

 was affected in the former, and Kamtschatka in the latter year. 



As a further illustration of this point, it may be mentioned that Dr. 

 Holger has suggested, in a paper on the analysis of the meteorites of Le- 

 narto and Agram (the latter of which fell on May 26. 1751), that aerolites 

 are the product of terrestrial emanations, which have been consolidated by 

 electro-chemical agency. (Zeitschr, fur Physik, viii. 129., quoted in Fe- 

 russac's Bulletin, March, 1830.) 



M. Necker, also, in a very interesting discussion {Bib. Un., Fev. 1830, 

 p. 166.) on the direction of the magnetic curves, illustrated by Capt. 

 Sabine's map of the northern hemisphere, has endeavoured to show that 

 the ranges of mountains and conformation of continents are coincident 

 with the direction of these curves. It is too long to allude to further in 

 this place, than to say that it is most singular that there should be an ap- 

 parent connection between the stratification, direction of mountains, shape 

 of continents, and the curves of equal magnetic intensity. M. Boue, in 

 his analysis of this paper, says M. Duhamel had, in his theory of the earth, 

 remarked the same coincidence. (Vide Ferussac, June, 1830.) 



On April 5. 1820, an aerolite fell on board a vessel in lat. about 20° N., 

 and 51° W. long. It fell from a cloud, attended by heavy rain, and had 

 the smell of sulphur. From February till March in that year earthquakes 

 were experienced in the Ionian Islands and elsewhere, and a volcano in 

 the Aleutian Isles was in eruption; and the year 1819 had been famous 

 for volcanic eruptions and earthquakes in both hemispheres. (Vide note, 

 p. 296.; also list of eruptions, &c, September 9.) In June, 1791, Vesu- 

 vius was in eruption ; and in July there was a fall of meteoric stones, 

 twelve in number, at Sienna. 



