182 



ON THE WEATHER. 



of day it was, which way the wind blew, and what were my occupations, 

 and where I was. with any remarkable occurrence that might have taken 

 place. Were I to begin again, I should probably pursue a different^ system; 

 and therefore upon this experience I venture to suggest that every lover 

 of Nature should, both for his own sake and that of others, keep a journal 

 of the weather. If he possess a barometer, thermometer, and rain-gauge, 

 let columns be assigned to each of those, and if he have the scientific 

 means of ascertaining the altitude of his position by the sea-level, let him 

 do so; but it is within the reach of every one to set down whether it be 

 fine or wet, hot or cold, or temperate, and in what quarter the wind, and 

 whether it changes during the day or night, with a note of the hour at 

 which the moon enters another quarter. Now this seems to be very simple, 

 and yet how few do such a thing! The matter might be managed in this 

 way. — Let there be, we will say, six columns, thus — 



Therm. 



Barom. 



Wind. 



Wind Change. 



Weather Generally. 



Moon's Age. 



The pages with these headings having a margin in which, opposite the 

 divisions, the day of the week, of the month, and year, must be set down, 

 you would have it somewhat in this manner: — 



I merely suggest the above plan, and it is obvious that much greater 

 space must be allowed; for the day I give for example was perhaps the 

 most singular we have had of late, being so cold as to set o«e-coated 

 gentry shivering, and myself among the number, in the morning, but be- 

 coming quite hot in the afternoon, although the thermometer in-doors varied 

 only three degrees, and the weather changing entirely in the night, and 

 the morning being ushered in with quite a balmy air. I heartily wish that 

 I had pursued this plan, suggested by my experience; but as it is, my 

 journals are kept mostly in short-hand, with such signs as I understand, 

 assisted by memory; whereas such a plan as I now propose would prove, 

 I hope, distributively useful; and if a digest of each month were added, it 

 would enable correspondents of your most valuable periodical to compare notes 

 in its columns, and thus render it still more complete even than it now is. 



0. S. KOUND. 



Pemhrolie Squai'e, Kensington, June \Oth., 18o6. 

 * The same.='~r. 0. Morrip. 



