CLOUD CLOVE. 



ted and horizontal. See N 3. of Plate XV. Of 

 these formations there are intermediate and com- 

 pound modifications, namely, Cirro-cumulus, small, 

 well-defined masses, in close arrangement (Plate XV. 

 N 4.) Cirro-stratus, horizontal masses, bent down- 

 ward or undulated, and separate or in groups (Plate 

 X V. N 5.) Cumulo-stratus , or twain cloud, the cirro- 

 stratus blended with the cumulus, and either appearing 

 intermixed with the heaps of the latter, or superadding 

 a wide-spread structure to its base. (Plate XV. N 

 6.) Cumulo-cirro-straius, or Nimbus, the rain-cloud, 

 a cloud or system of clouds from wliich rain is falling, 

 above which the cirrus spreads, while the cumulus 

 enters it laterally and from beneath (Plate XV. Nos. 

 7 and 8.) The Fall-Cloud, resting apparently on 

 the surface of the ground (Plate XV . N 9). 



The clouds are generally assigned to three at- 

 mospherical regions, the upper, the middle, and the 

 lower one, to which a fourth, the lowest, may be add- 

 ed. In the upper region, the atmosphere is in such 

 a state, that it can receive and sustain aqueous mat- 

 ter dissolved into its integrant parts. This state of 

 the atmosphere corresponds to the highest state of 

 the barometer. To this region belongs the cirrus, 

 which has the least density, but the greatest height, 

 and variety of sliape and direction. It is the first in- 

 dication of serene and settled weather, and first shows 

 itself in a few fibres, spreading through the atmos- 

 phere. These fibres by degrees increase in length, 

 and new fibres attach themselves to the sides. The 

 duration of the cirrus is uncertain, from a few min- 

 utes to several hours. It lasts longer, if it appears 

 alone, and at a great height ; a shorter time, if it 

 forms in the neighbourhood of other clouds. The 

 middle region is the seat of cumulus, wliich is gener- 

 ally the most condensed, and moves with the stream 

 of air nearest to the earth. This region can receive 

 much humidity, but not in perfect solution. The 

 hiunidity becomes collected, and shows itself in mas- 

 ses rising conieally, and resting on the third region. 

 The appearance, increase, and disappearance of the 

 cumulus, in fine weather, are often periodical, and 

 correspondent to the degree of heat. Generally, it 

 forms a few hours after sunrise, attains its highest 

 degree in the hottest hours of the afternoon, and de- 

 creases and vanishes at sunset. Great masses of 

 cumulus, during high winds, in the quarter of the 

 heavens towards wliich the wind blows, indicate ap- 

 proaching calm and rain. If the cumulus does not 

 disappear, but rises, a thunder-storm is to be expect- 

 ed during the night. If the upper region, with its 

 drying power, predominates, the upper parts of the 

 cumulus become cirrus. But, if the lower region 

 predominates (into which the densest vapours are 

 attracted and dissolved into drops), the basis of the 

 cumulus sinks, and the cloud becomes stratus, which 

 is of moderate density, and its lower surface rests 

 generally upon the earth or the water. This is the 

 proper evening cloud, and appears first towards sun- 

 set. To this belong also those creeping fogs, which, 

 in calm evenings, ascend from the valleys, and ex- 

 tend themselves in undulating masses. The stratus 

 remains quiet, and accumulates layers, till at last it 

 falls as rain. This phenomenon the dissolution of 

 clouds into rain is called nimbus. Th. Forster has 

 followed Howard in his investigations respecting the 

 clouds, and Goethe, the German poet, has made an 

 application of this theory in his work entitled Zur 

 Naturuiissenschaft, vol. i. 



CLOUD, ST ; a charmingly situated village, two 

 leagues east from Paris, in the department of Seine- 

 and-Oise, with a royal castle and magnificent garden, 

 which were much embellished by Napoleon. On 

 the 7th of Septemlx:r, and some days following, per- 

 haps a sixth part of the population of Paris is assem- 



bled here, full of gayety, attending the fair, which 

 aflbrds a striking picture of a certain class of the 

 French people. As the residence of the monarch 01 

 France, St Cloud is historically interesting. Many 

 events in the civil disturbances of that country are 

 connected with this place. Here Henry III. was 

 murdered by Clement, Aug. 2, 1589 ; and, in modem 

 tunes, it has been rendered famous by the revolution 

 of the 18th of Brumaire, which destroyed the direc- 

 tory, and established the consular government. Na- 

 poleon chose St Cloud for his residence ; hence the 

 expression, cabinet of St Cloud. Under the former 

 government, the phrase was cabinet of Versailles, or 

 cabinet of the Tuileries. In 1814, St Cloud was be- 

 sieged, March 31, by the van-guard of the army of 

 the allies under Langeron. April 7, the head-quar- 

 ters of the allied armies were there, and remained 

 there until June 3. In 1815, Biucher had his head- 

 quarters at St Cloud ; and here also was concluded 

 the military convention (July 3, 1815), by which 

 Paris fell a second time into the hands of the allies. 

 Bignon, Guilleminot and count Bondi acted on the 

 part of France, general Muffling (the same who was, 

 in 1829, a mediator between Russia and Turkey > at 

 Constantinople, sent there by the king of Prussia) for 

 Prussia, colonel Hervey for Britain. The dubious 

 sense of several points determined in the convention 

 afterwards occasioned mutual reproaches. 



CLOVE. The clove is the unexpanded flower-bud 

 of an East Indian tree (caryophillus aromaticus), 

 somewhat resembling the laurel in its height, and in 

 the shape of its leaves. The leaves are in pairs, ob- 

 long, large, spear-shaped, and of a bright-green 

 colour. The flowers grow in clusters, which ter- 

 minate the branches, and have the calyx divided into 

 four small and pointed segments. The petals are 

 small, rounded, and of a bluish colour ; and the seed 

 is an oval berry. In the Molucca islands, where the 

 raising of different spices was formerly carried on by 

 the Dutch colonists to great extent, the culture of 

 the clove-tree was a very important pursuit. It has 

 even been asserted, that, in order to secure a lucra- 

 tive branch of commerce m this article to themselves, 

 they destroyed all the trees growing in other islands, 

 and confined the propagation of them to that of Ter- 

 nate. But it appears that, in 1770 and 1772, both 

 clove and nutmeg-trees were transplanted from the 

 Moluccas into the islands of France and Bourbon, 

 and subsequently into some of the colonies of South 

 America, where they have since been cultivated 

 with great success. At a certain season of the year, 

 the clove-tree produces a vast profusion of flowers. 

 When these have attained the length of about half an 

 inch, the four points of the calyx being prominent 

 and having, in the middle of them, the leaves of the 

 petals folded over each other, and forming a small 

 head about the size of a pea, they are in a fit state to 

 be gathered. This operation is performed betwixt 

 the months of October and February, partly by the 

 hand, partly by hooks, and partly by beating the 

 trees with bamboos. The cloves are either received 

 on cloths spread beneath the trees, or are suffered to 

 fall on the ground, the herbage having been previ- 

 ously cut and swept for that purpose. Ihey are 

 subsequently dried by exposure for a while to the 

 smoke of wood fires, afterwards to the rays of the 

 sun. When first gathered, they are of a reddish- 

 colour, but, by drying, they assume a deep-brown 

 cast. This spice yields a very fragrant odour, and 

 has a bitterish, pungent, and warm taste. It is 

 sometimes employed as a hot and stimulating medi- 

 cine, but is more frequently used in culinary prepar- 

 ations. When fresh gathered, cloves will yield, on 

 pressure, a fragrant, thick, and reddish oil ; and, by 

 distillation, a limpid essential oil. Oil of cloves ia 



