494 PHILOSOPHY OF STORMS. 



itself a self-sustaining power, which may move from the 

 place over which it was formed, ^and cause the air over 

 which it passes, to rise up into it, and thus form more cloud 

 and rain, until the rain may become more general ; for many 

 storms which commence in the West Indies, very narrow, 

 are known to move from the place of beginning, several 

 thousand miles, widening out and increasing in size, until 

 they become many hundred miles wide. (See Redfield and 

 Reid, and the Reports of Joint Committee.) 



If these principles are just, it will follow, when the air is 

 in a favorable state, that the bursting out of a volcano ought 

 to produce rain ; and such is known to be the fact ; and I 

 have abundant documents in my possession to prove it. 

 Some are given below. 



So, under very favorable circumstances, the bursting out 

 of great fires ought to produce rain ; and I have many facts 

 in my possession rendering it highly probable, if not certain, 

 that great rains have sometimes been produced by great 

 fires. 



It is a general opinion in parts of the country where great 

 fires frequently take place, that those fires produce rain. 

 Now this opinion could hardly have originated without 

 some circumstances besides mere coincidence attending 

 them, such as related in the following account. Mr. Dob- 

 rezhoffer, a missionary to Paraguay, speaking of the tall 

 grass and bulrushes on fire, says : "I. myself have seen 

 clouds and lightning produced from the smoke, as it is flying 

 off like a whirlwind; so that the Indians are not to blame 

 for setting fire to the plains in order to produce rain, they 

 having learned that the thicker smoke turns into clouds 

 which pour forth water." (Account of the Abiphones, vol. 

 3d, page 150.) 



Mr. Lapice, of Louisiana, informed Dr. S. Calhoun, of 

 Philadelphia, " that the conflagration of the long grass in the 

 prairies oY that State covers every thing with its cinders for 



