On Atmospheric Pheenomena. i 1 7 



sky round ihem, and then all over, became quite bright, and 

 distant objects more distinct. 



IV. From this time the same wind lasted about a fort- 

 night. On the first evening I observed that no dew fell ; 

 on the second I perceived a little; on the third more; which 

 increased every evening till at length it became so thick, that 

 as soon as the sun was set it obscured the ground ; and the 

 following mornings were very foggy. During these four- 

 teen days the sky became daily more misty, as in Observa- 

 tion III. From this I inferred, that the sun during the day 

 raised a greater quantity of vapour than the quantity of elec- 

 tricity present in the atmosphere could support in the night 

 and raise up to the clouds ; the electricity having been gra- 

 dually taken up from the earth to form clouds during the 

 preceding fine weather; and being thus carried away, in the 

 end there was so little left, that a con!«iderable part of the 

 vapour raised in the day fell down in the night, and continued 

 till the succeeding sun raised them again. 



From these observations I draw the following inferences: 



1st, That no cloud can be formed, or exist, v.iihout elec- 

 tricity. 



2d, That no cloud can rain till it parts with some of its 

 electricity. 



3d, That in fine weather the earth must be giving elec- 

 tricity to the atmosphere by means of vapour, and in stormy 

 weather the atmosphere must be giving electrici-ty to the 

 earth by means of vapour, rain, or lightning. 



4th, That in fiue weather the clouds are separating, and 

 in stormy weather uniting. 



5th, That electricity is the suspending power in clouds. 



6th, That dry air is a conductor of heat, but a non-con- 

 ductor of electricity. 



7lh, That water can exist permanently in four states, and 

 temporarily in one. Two of these are efl'ected by electricity, 

 and three without it. The first electrical stale is that of 

 cloud, which is so much charged as to become 'itihter than 

 air at the surface of ihe earth ; the secijud is a con^pietc sa- 

 turation of water with, or solution of water in, the electric 

 fluid, which produces a transparent and clastic fluid light 

 H 3 enough 



