Notice of the Rarer Atmospherical Phenomena in 1824. 53 



the variations of pressure at very distant places, even over a 

 fourth part of the surface of the globe. A very interesting ex- 

 ception to this, occurred on the 18th July. We are informed, 

 that, in the department of the Aude, in France, on that day, 

 the barometer stood at 28 inches, while there was a violent 

 wind, and a storm of thunder ; — further, that, in the evening, 

 there was a shock of an earthquake. The barometric column 

 experienced no variation during the shock. The temperature 

 was suffocating. Now, it is singular, that we had here, on the 

 18th, a very high pressure, approaching very nearly to the 

 maximum for the month, and that just at the time when the 

 earthquake and low pressure took place in France. On the 

 following day at 5 A. M., an earthquake was also felt at Lis- 

 bon ; it was preceded by excessive heats ; the accounts of 

 which being very curious, may, with propriety, be transcribed 

 here, as translated from the Portuguese papers. " The high 

 temperatures experienced in Lisbon on the 18th, 19th, and 

 20th July, and which did such damage to the fields, de- 

 serve some observation. On the 17th and 18th, Fahrenheit's 

 thermometer, in the open air and shade, was from 92° to 96° at 

 2 P. M., and 79° to 83° at midnight. On the 19th, (the day of 

 the earthquake,) exposed to a hot wind from theN. E., it rose 

 to 105°. " This burning wind did immense damage; it is impos- 

 sible to calculate it. We can state, however, that the vines in 

 elevated situations, exposed to theN. E., entirely lost the abun- 

 dant fruit with which they were loaded. A great many per- 

 sons, working in the fields, were mortally struck with the ma- 

 lignant influence of this excessive heat. Many animals shared 

 the same fate ; the leaves of the vegetable world were com- 

 pletetely dried up and reduced to dust." 



The month of August was a very fine one. The tempera- 

 ture was moderate ; mean 56°. Pressure steady ; winds N. E. 

 and W., gentle. 



On the 3d, between 5 and 6 P. M., the following curious 

 nephrological phenomenon occurred : — 



The day had been very wet ; ' but the rain had ceased 

 about 3 P. M., and the clouds had begun to break up; but still, 

 at 5, they were floating about in every direction, under the 



