J O U R N A L 



OF 



NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, CHEMISTRY, 



AND 



THE ARTS. 



MARCH 1790. SUPPLEMENT. 



ARTICLE I. 



Olfa-vaihns on WaUr-Spouis feen from Nice. By M. MiCHAUD, Correfpondcnt with tht Ro^ai 

 Academy of Sciences at Turin *. 



VV ATE R-fpouts, as Mr. Senebier remarks, are phenomena which arife too feldom, 

 and are too difficult of obfervation, to admit of our forming an accurate notion of their cir- 

 cnmftances, or pointing out the means by which their caufes may be inveftigated. Yet, as 

 nature is never more dlfpofcd to explain her fecret operations than in fuch as are performed 

 on a great fcafe, there is no doubt but that thefc phenomena, if well explained, would lead 

 to ufeful refults f. 



I do not flatt«r myfelf with the hope of giving a complete explanation of the caufe of 

 water-fpouts, fuch as M. Senebier appears to defire ; but as the true explanation can only 

 be had by careful and frequent obfervation, I hope my work will not be totally ufelefs if it 

 fhould afford an additional flep towards the defired end. 



My obfervations did not in flridnefs commence till the 6th of January 1789, but it ap- 

 pears neceflary, for the fatisfa£lion and information of my readers, to mention feme fa£l» 

 of an earlier date. I muft therefore remark, that after a mild fcafon for the grcateft part 

 of the month of December 1788, at Nice, where the winter is not in general fevcre, with 

 clear weather in the day-time, our atmofphere underwent a total change on the day of the 

 new moon, which was the 27th of that month. On that day a very violent ftorm of wind 

 arofe, attended with a degree of cold as acute as ever was known in the memory of man. 

 The (ky became covered with clouds, and fnow fell to the depth of more than eiglit inches 



* Turin Mtm. V'l. 



+, tcnebicT fur Its Moytns Jc pcrfcftionncr h Mti&rolopic. Journal Jc Roticr, M»i 1787. 



Vol.1.— March 1798."— SorrL. - 4E As 



