of air thus loaded would he drawn i; carer together bj 

 the mutual at-raetbii of the 



t!v fi-e, co;nm >:i or electri.c, included therein, assist 

 their mutual repulsion. Hence they coj.tL'i'ue sus- 

 pended. But if air thus loaded be compressed by ad- 

 verse wLr.ls, or by being driven against mountains, or if 

 condensed by the loss of its fire, it will continue sus- 

 pended no longer, but will descend in dew. And if the 

 . ounding one particle of air conies into contact 

 with that surrounding another, they naturally coalesce 

 if-.o a drop, and so descend iu rain. 



The sun supplies common fire to all vapours rising 

 either from sea or land. Vapours having both this and 

 electric fire, are better supported than those which have 

 this only. For when vapours rise into the coldest region, 

 the. common fire may foil.. But the cold will not di- 

 minish the electric : this is always the same. Hence 

 clouds raised from fresh waters, from moist earth, or 

 growing vegetables, more easily descend and deposit 

 thffir waters, as having but little electric fire, as to keep* 

 the particles separate from each other; so that the 

 greatest part of the water raised from the land falls on 

 the laud again. But clouds raised fiorn the sea, having 

 both fires, and much of the electric, support their 

 water far more strongly, and being assisted by winds* 

 rnuy bring it from the middle of the widest ocean to the 

 middle of the broadest continent. Ami yet a way ifr 

 provided whereby these also are readily brought to de- 

 posit their water. For whenever they are driven against 

 mountains by A .ne aids, those mountains take away 

 their electric fire ; and, being cold, the common also : 

 "hence the particles iann^ lately clos-c. If the air is not 

 much loaded, the water falls in a dew on the top and 

 the sides erf the mountain. If it is* the electric fire 

 being taken at once from the whole cloud, it flashes- 

 brightly, and cracks loudly. And the particles instantly 

 coalescing for want of that fire r fall m a, heavy shower* 



When a ridge of mountains stops the clouds, and 

 draws the electric fire from the cloud first; approaching 



