AETIFIC1AL KAIN. 307 



followed by violent rain, with thunder and 

 lightning. 



Mr. Eowell proposes to bring down artificial 

 rain by raising electrical conductors to the 

 clouds by means of balloons. The following 

 extract from a letter quoted by him appears 

 to lend some probability of success to his pro- 

 position : " It has several times happened," 

 observes the writer, "that when my elec- 

 trical kite has been raised immediately under 

 a distended, light, fleecy cloud, at a mode- 

 rate elevation, and a free current of sparks 

 has passed from the apparatus for some ten or 

 twelve minutes, I have suddenly found myself 

 bedewed with a descent of fine misty rain, 

 and, on looking up, I have seen the cloud 

 upon which I was operating surprisingly re- 

 duced in magnitude !" " Electrical kites," ob- 

 serves Mr. Eowell, "cannot reach the clouds, 

 and can only be raised in windy weather, when 

 the clouds must be every instant passing away 

 from the influence of such apparatus; and if 

 they have such effects, what, may we not antici- 

 pate from the use of conductors which would 

 reach the clouds, and could be raised in calm 

 weather?"* 



* Mr. Espy, an American writer, proposes to create arti- 

 ficial rains in time of drought by setting fire to large bodies 

 of combustible substances. 



