THE FARMER AT HOME. 14 j 



a ; to reflect a sufficient number of such vibrations as proceed different 

 ^ 'ays, to the same place, the sound will be there repeated, and is 

 c illed an echo ; and the greater the distance of the object is, the 

 1 >nger will be the time before the repetition is heard ; and when the 

 s 3und, in its progress, meets with objects at different distances, suffi- 

 c ient to produce an echo, the same sound will be repeated several 

 t mes successively, according to the different distances of these objects 

 f corn the sounding body, which makes what is called a repeated echo. 



ECLIPSES. These natural and now well understood phenomena 

 * vere formerly beheld by mankind with terror and amazement ; and 

 *vere looked upon as prodigies which portended calamity and misery. 

 >5uch fears, and the erroneous opinions that produced them, originated 

 :n ignorance. The illiterate in all ages have beheld eclipses with a 

 !dnd of terror ; and, not having been able to account for the obscura- 

 ion of any of the celestial bodies, superstition has invented a thou- 

 sand ridiculous stories to account for this seemingly wonderful exhi- 

 bition of nature. The natives of Mexico kept fasts during eclipses, 

 imagining the moon had been wounded by the sun in a quarrel. 

 Other nations have thought, that in an eclipse of the sun, that body 

 has turned aw r ay its face with abhorrence fyom the crimes of mankind ; 

 and, by fasting, they thought to appease the excited wrath. This 

 ignorance and superstition were greatly serviceable to the celebrated 

 navigator, Colnmbus. When he arrived at St. Domingo, on his fourth 

 voyage of discoveries, in the year 1502, he had the mortification to 

 find the Spanish governor, who resided there, would not allow his 

 ships to anchor, because he was jealous of the favors which Columbus 

 had received from Isabella, then queen of Spain. This obliged him 

 to put to sea in search of some more hospitable harbor. After he 

 had searched in vain for a passage to the Indian ocean, he returned, 

 and was shipwrecked on the coast of Jamaica. 



Being driven to great distress in consequence of the natives with- 

 holding a supply of provisions, he had recourse to a happy artifice, 

 which not only produced the desired success, but heightened the favor- 

 able ideas the Indians had originally entertained of the Spaniards. 

 By skill in astronomy, he knew there would shortly be an eclipse of 

 the moon. He assembled all the principal persons of the district the 

 day before the eclipse happened ; and having reproached them for 

 their caprice in withholding their assistance from men whom they 

 had so lately and so highly respected, he told them the Great Spirit 

 was so offended, at their want of humanity to the Spaniards, that as 

 a sign he intended to punish them with extreme severity, and that as 

 his vengeance was ready to fall on them, he would cause the moon 

 that very night, to conceal its light, and appear of a bloody hue, the 

 certain emblem of Divine wrath. This artifice was a most success- 

 ful one. It led to the speedy supply of all his wants Some of these 



