22 VOYAGE OUTWARD. 



of their importance to the great concerns of navigation and 

 trade. And as, in consequence of such views of nature, 

 on general principles, as I hope to exhibit in the progress 

 of this work, the great Atlantic and Northern seas in ge- 

 neral may, ere long, become the theatre of more frequent 

 commerce, other benefits may be found to arise from the 

 conclusions to be drawn from these observations. 



With regard then to clouds, I shall take the classical 

 names laid down by Mr. Howard ; and leaving the discus- 

 sion of his elegant theory in abler hands, must beg that 

 gentleman's indulgence, in placing them in such arrange- 

 ment as I found, from experience, to be most useful in 

 application. To this classification, a concise exposition 

 shall be added, by way of illustration, for such readers as 

 may not have seen Mr. Howard's exposition. This illustra- 

 tion is intended merely to convey a clear idea of the colour 

 and general situation of the clouds. Therefore, beginning 

 with the lowest member of the classification, we shall pro- 

 ceed with the next in simplicity, and then to their various 

 compounds, pointing out the probable agency of each. 

 Taking nubes then for the term expressive of the genus, the 

 names of the species are as follow : 



Genus. Species. 



Nubes. Stratus Lowest of all clouds. Evening and morning ground 



mist. 

 Cirrus Highest ditto. Mares' Tails. Mackarel sky, &c. 



