THEORY DEDUCED FROM PHYSICAL LAWS. 19 



two inches, (article 16), and the air near the surface of the 

 earth, at the borders of the storm, would be rushing inwards 

 with a velocity of 370 feet per second. 



38. In the year 1821, on the 19th of December, a volcano 

 broke out in Iceland, attended with just such phenomena ; 

 a^d in five days the rains reached the south of Europe, 

 and the barometer on that day, which had been gradually 

 falling, stood all over Europe lower than it had done for 

 many years. (See the Phil, journals of 1822.) Thus that 

 mysterious connection between volcanoes and rains which, 

 Humboldt says, is even able to change the rainy seasons in 

 South America, is clearly explained. Nor will such accounts 

 as the following any more appear incredible. 



In the mountain of Tomboro, in the island of Sumbawa, 

 eastward of Java, a most dreadful volcanic eruption com- 

 menced on the 5th of April, 1815, and was most violent on 

 the llth and 12th. Out of a population of twelve thousand 

 persons, only twenty-six escaped destruction. Violent whirl- 

 winds swept away men, horses, cattle, and every thing 

 which came within their vortex, tore up the largest trees, 

 and covered the neighboring sea with floating timber, 

 which, from its scorched appearance, had evidently been 

 carried through the flames of the volcano. 



39. In Scoresby's Arctic Regions, page 404, vol. 1, are 

 several facts which would of themselves prove an upward 

 motion of the air at the time of a storm. 



" About 10 o'clock the snow abated, and several ships were 

 seen within three or four miles. As all of these ships were 

 sailing on the wind, it was easy to ascertain the direction of 

 the wind where they were. 



Two ships bearing north east from us had the wind N. E. ; 

 two bearing east, at E. or E. N. E. ; two bearing south east, 

 had the wind S. E. ; while with us it blew from the north 

 west. In each of these places, a fresh breeze prevailed ; but 

 in some situations where there happened to be no ships, 



