g32 Dark days of Canada. 



period of so much obscurity took place, that lights became 

 necessary, and were used in all the churches. This period 

 was rather longer in its duration, than the first ; a third 

 period of obscurity came on at two o'clock, a fourth about 

 three, and a fifth at half past four o'clock, during which 

 the intensity of the darkness was very great, and is described 

 try those who witnessed it, to have been that of perfect 

 midnight. During the whole of these periods, and of the 

 interval between them, vast masses of clouds, of a yellow 

 appearance, which was very remarkable, were driven with 

 great rapidity from the north-east toward the south-west 

 by the wind; there was much lightning, thunder, and 

 rain. The periods of total darkness were about ten minutes 

 each, and although the intervals were not so dark, they 

 afforded but little light. 



The Barometer was stationary the whole time at 29 5, 

 and the Thermometer, which stood in the morning at 1/2° 

 fell two or three degrees in the course of the day.* 



The water which fell from the clouds was extremely 

 black ; and the next day, upon the surface of what was 

 found in different vessels, a yellow powder was floating, 

 which, upon examination, proved to be sulphur ; a deposit 

 of a black substance in powder, was also found in the bottom 

 of all these vessels, but I am not aware that it was sub- 

 mitted to any test whatever. f 



Phenomena similar to those which have been described, 

 took place at Montreal, on the same sixteenth day of October, 

 but the darkness did not there commence until about two 

 in the afternoon ; the clouds were of the same remarkable 



• Meteorological Journal of the late Rev. Dr. Sparke. 



t Quebec Gazette, 20th October, 1785,— and Dr. Sparke's Journal. 



