158 Meteorological Observations . 
other looked like great crosses in the sky : their different 
direction really arose from difference of altitude, which not 
being discerned readily trom below gave the phenomenon, 
the look of a cross. 
July 7.— Fine day, cumuli, cirri, &e.; fine golden 
colour at sunset from the refraction by the fringes of cu- 
mulostralus, the groundwork or mist colour being yellow *. 
July 8.—Fair, with various clouds ; fine sunset, 
July 9.—A storm in the morning, afterwards fair day 
with cumuli and cirri, and cakn air. 
Meteorological Observations made at Clapton in Hackney; 
Srom July 10 to July 23, 1813. 
July 10.—Fair, with various clouds. 
July 11.—Fair, with much cumulus and cirrus. 
July 12.—Fair and hot; the cirrus appeared early scat- 
tered about; there were cumudi, &c. through the day. At 
midday, thermometer 78°. 
July 13.—The different modifications appeared: a warmt 
day. Therm. midday about 74°. 
July 14.—Warm south-westerly wind with clouded sky, 
and gentle and frequent showers of calin small rain. Ther- 
mometer at 11 P.M. 59°. 
July 15.—Rain more or less all day; it began about nine 
in the morning, got harder about two, with a change of 
wind from southerly to NW. and held up for a short time 
in the evening. 
July 16+.—Clear early, flocky cumuli then appeared, 
becoming cumulostratus, inklike and dense, with west wind 5 
a cirrostratus which I perceived in the NE. before sunrise, 
indicated that the then change to clearness was not to be 
of long continuance. During the day, slight mimdi formed, 
and poured a little rain.. After four P.M. 1 observed tu- 
berculated rocklike cumuli rather low down, while some- 
what higher up a.sort of cloud more confused and mistlike, 
but dense in the middle, and with cirrous edges, appeared, 
as a sort of nascent nimbus, whose actions were as yet 
faint ; much of this kind of cloud prevailed, and some of 
* The scudlike cumuli which floated along in the under current appeared 
bower than they generally do further from the sea, in inJand counties, 
+ The general appearance of the weather renders it probable that the 
vulgar superstition about St, Swithin may be strengthened again this year, 
by a long continuance of rainy weather. This popular belief, that a rainy 
15th of July is followed by thirty-nine more rainy days, has been so often 
verified in my memory, that Iam induced to think there may be some na- 
tural causes why rainy weather about this time of year should bé of long du- 
ration. The number of forty days and the fable about St,Swithin are, of 
course, only vulgar additions ef ignorance and credulity, 3 
the 
