2^ Notes upon the Dark Days of Canada. 



took place, that lights became necessary, and were used in all 

 the churches : this period was rather longer in its duration than 

 the first. A third period of obscurity came on at two o'clock, a 

 fourth about three, and a fifth at half-past four o'clock, during 

 which the intensity of the darkness was very great, and is des- 

 cribed by those who witnessed it to have been that of perfect 

 midnight. During the whole of these periods, and of the inter- 

 vals between them, vast masses of clouds of yellow appearance, 

 which were very remarkable, were driven with great rapidity from 

 the north-east towards the north-west by the wind. There was 

 much lightning, thunder, and rain. The periods of total darkness 

 were about ten minutes each, and although the intervals were 

 not so dark, they afforded but little light. 



The barometer was stationary the whole time at 29.5 ; and the 

 thermometer, which stood in the morning at 52°, fell two or three 

 degrees in the course of the day.* 



The water which fell from the clouds was extremely black, 

 and the next day, upon the surface of what was found in different 

 vessels, a yellow powder was floating, which upon examination 

 proved to be sulphur. A deposit of a black substance like powder 

 was also found in the bottom of all these vessels, but I am not 

 aware that it was submitted to any test whatever.-|- 



Phenomena similar to those which have been described, took 

 place at Montreal, on the same 16th day of October ; but the 

 darkness did not there commence until about two in the after- 

 noon. The clouds were of the same remarkable yellow tinge, and 

 were accompanied by gusts of wind, thunder, lightning, and rain. 

 There was a period of obscurity at half-past two o'clock, a second 

 at a quarter past three, and a third at five, and during all of 

 them the darkness was so intense, that to use the expression of one 

 who was an eye-witness, '''Jamais mdt 7iefut plus obsciir,'^ A 

 medical gentleman of Montreal perceiving the black colour of 

 the rain, collected upon a strained piece of muslin a certain quan- 

 tity of the black pulverised matter with which it was charged, and 

 rubbing it between the fingers, and by ignition, this was found 

 to be strongly impregnated with sulphur. It does not, however, 



• Meteorological Journal by the late Rev. Dr Sparke. 



f Quebec Ga;?ette, 20th October 1785, and Dr Sparke's Journal. 



