106 



DISCOVERY 



CH. 



weather over periods longer than those which at present 

 limit his predictions. 



Relationships may be found long before they are 

 understood, but in all cases it is desirable to be assured 

 of their truth before attempting to explain them. The 

 evidence for the beliefs mentioned already is altogether 

 insufficient to satisfy any critical mind, yet many 

 " wise-saws " which serve for making estimates of 

 weather changes a few hours, or even a day or two, in 

 advance, are contained in the accumulated wisdom of 

 ages, often enshrined in proverbs and folk-lore. The 

 shepherd and the sailor, the hunter and the tiller of the 

 ground, learnt to read the face of the sky and to interpret 

 its promises and warnings long before any scientific 

 foundations for their beliefs had been discovered. 



There is no better example of this than the numerous 

 proverbs of different times and nations referring to the 

 weather outlook foretold by a red sunset or red sunrise. 

 " When it is evening, ye say, l It will be fair weather : 

 for the sky is red.' And in the morning, ' It will be foul 

 weather to-day : for the sky is red and lo wring.' ; So 

 spake Christ to the Pharisees and Sadducees ; and He 

 used this common belief of His day as an illustration of 

 the self-satisfying spirit which is content with the 

 obvious and seeks not to discern the " signs of the times." 



As a general rule for weather prognostication it is as 

 true in the British Isles as it was in Palestine that 



" Sky red in the morning 



Is a shepherd's sure warning ; 

 Sky red at night 

 Is the shepherd's delight." 



The connection between the weather which usually 

 follows redness of sunrise or sunset is a statement of fact 

 derived from long experience ; the explanation could 



