Chap. 6.3 Clouds explained. 



matter, wherever it iflues, attracts to it, and carries 

 into the higher regions of the air, the watery particles 

 difperfed in the atmofphere. The electric matter 

 afcends, being folicited by the lefs refiftance it finds 

 there than in the common mafs of the earth, which at 

 thofe times is generally very dry, and confequently 

 highly electric. The uniformity with which thunder 

 clouds fpread themfelves, and fwell into arches, muft 

 be owing to their being affected by fome caufe, which, 

 like the electric matter, diffufes itfelf uniformly where- 

 ever it acts, and to the refiftance they meet with in 

 afcending through die air. 



The fame caufe, which firft railed a cloud from va- 

 pours difperfed in the atmofphere, draws to it thofe al- 

 ready formed, and continues to form new ones, till the 

 whole collected mafs extends fo far as to reach a part 

 of the earth where there is a deficiency of electric fluid ; 

 thither alio they will be attracted, and thus the mafs 

 ferves as a conductor. When the clouds are attracted 

 in their paffage by thofe parts of the earth, where there 

 is a deficiency of the fluid, thofe detached fragments 

 are formed, and alfo thofe uniform depending protu- 

 berances, which are probably the caufe of water- 

 fpouts. 



f A wind always blows from the place whence a 

 thunder cloud proceeds, and the wind is more or lef* 

 violent in proportion to the fudden appearance of the 

 thunder cloud, the rapidity of its expanfion, and the 

 velocity with which the adicititious clouds join it. The 

 fudden condenfation of fuch a prodigious quantity of 

 vapour muft difplace the air, and agitate it on all 

 iides. 



In three dates of the air, fays' the author above 

 quoted, I could find no electricity in it. nt. In windy 

 weather. . 2d. When the fky was covered with diftinct 



and 



