232 THE WEATHER. 



precisely at the same moment, and one never takes place 

 without the other. It is true that we often see the flash 

 some time before we hear the sound, and so do we often 

 see the smoke of a distant gun, long before we hear its 

 report. The reason is not that they are in reality sepa- 

 rated, but because light travels faster, and reaches us 

 sooner than sound ; and as the apparent separation is pro- 

 portional to the distance, the latter may be calculated 

 pretty accurately by observing the former. It is true also 

 that we sometimes see a cloud in the evening which emits 

 frequent flashes in apparent silence. This is not because 

 it is a different species of lightning; but because in the 

 darkness of the hour, the light may be seen at so great a 

 distance that its thunder is not heard. On the other 

 hand, when the cloud rises in the day-time, we hear the 

 thunder first, because in the glare of the sun, the flash 

 must be vivid before it can be seen. The phenomena 

 are, without doubt, in all cases the same; and when the 

 cloud is near, the peal follows instantaneously upon the 

 flash ; at a less or greater distance it is in a small or 

 great degree separated from it. When the cloud ap- 

 proaches us in the dark, as might have been expected, 

 we see the light before we hear the sound ; and when it 

 comes in bright daylight, the peal is heard before the 

 flash is ^visible. 



We rave thus described as fully and to as great an ex- 

 tent as our limits will permit, the principles by which -the 

 changes of the weather are regulated. We must not 

 forget the great object of the whole, which is to take up 

 from the ocean the waters which rivers and streams are 

 continually bearing to its bosom, and distributing them 

 again over the earth to refresh and to fertilize. In con- 

 sidering this subject we know not which mo>t to admire, 

 the skill which contrived this system, or the omnipotent 

 control, which confines these elements of agitation 

 within such bounds, that they seldom encroach upon hu- 

 man life, or even disturb the peaceful and happy em- 

 ployments of society. 



