Notes upon tlie Dark Days of' Canada. 225 



Not having a thermometer on board, the temperature could 

 not be observed ; it did not, although close and sultry at times, 

 appear to be remarkable for the season of the year, numbers 

 of small birds flying about seemingly much disturbed. The 

 darkness at eight a. m. to-day as great as is usual in London in 

 the month of December at the same hour. From the darkness 

 during the night, the seamen were obliged to use lanterns with 

 candles on deck to conduct the navigation of the ship. Longi- 

 tude Q5° 48' west, and latitude 49° 49' north. — July 4th. This day 

 the ashes falling in a small quantity, and the darkness last night 

 excessive again, so much so that the hand could not be observed 

 while touching the face. At half-past three p. m., scarcely able to 

 see the hour by a watch. The ashes collected on deck appeared 

 to be those of burnt wood, but darker and more heavy than the 

 ashes from a tobacco pipe. That collected from the surface of 

 the sea, when dried, resembled a cake of shoe-blacking. Several 

 ships, in different quarters of the Gulf and River St Laurence, 

 observed the same appearance of darkness, which appears to have 

 been pretty general, although not to the same degree. No rea- 

 son can as yet be assigned for this extraordinary phenomenon : — 

 it is conjectured by many to be the consequence of a volcano, 

 but the ashes by no means resemble those thrown up by the 

 volcano on St Vincent, in the West Indies, some time since.'' 



The narrative of the officers who were on board the Sir WiU 

 Ham Heathcote transport^ states, that, on the 2d of July 1814, 

 there was a heavy fall of askes and sand, which was succeeded 

 by a dense haze, which gradually increased until eleven o'clock in 

 the day, when it cleared up, and the sun was of a blood red colour. 

 At one o'clock it again became so dark that the soldiers on board 

 could not see to divide out their dinners without lighted candles. 

 This darkness continued until night, and during the whole time 

 ashes fell in abundance, and completely covered the deck. The 

 transport was the whole day off Cape Chat, the wind blew gent- 

 ly y/ow tlie north sliore of the St Laurence. The people residing 

 down the river declared there had not been any appearance of 

 fire in the woods *. 



• The above was received from the officers on board the Sir William 

 Healhcote, by Lieut. Ingal, of the 15th regiment, who favoured me with a 

 copy. 



VOL. XIV. NO. XXVIII. APRIL 1833. » 



