201 



tain degree, a power of destroying heat, as well as a 

 power of generating heat, as t i> instances may re- 

 quire. This resiitis from the principle of life itself,, 

 and accordingly, is not found in an}; inanimate body. 



A wind of <* very peculiar kind, parsed over the city 

 of Rome, on the night of the IJth of June, 1?49. 

 There first appeared a very black, long, and lofty cloud, 

 which emitter flames on all sides. It moved along with 

 a surprising swiftness, within three or four feet of the 

 ground. It first ga nered in the neighbouring sea, 

 came from Oaiia to Home, entered tbe city between the 

 gates of St. Paul, and St. Sebestian, and crossing in a 

 strait line, went out at the north angle of a large square, 

 between the Porta Pia, and that of St Lawrence. It 

 stripped off the roofs of houses, blew down the 

 chirnnies, broke doors and windows, forced up the floors, 

 and unpaved the rooms. It tore up the vines, and over- 

 threw the tr es in its way, and where its action was most 

 violent, the very rafters of the houses were broke, yea, 

 and hurled against houses at a considerable distance. 

 The loftiest buddings felt' its fury the most: those of 

 one story were little damaged. It was traced to some 

 distance without the city, then it died away. 



The motions, of all these hurricanes is circular, and- 

 they carry up ir.to the air, tiles, stones, ;nid whatever 

 comes in uieir way, and throw them violently to a con- 

 sukabie distance. To this may be owing some of 

 those surprising showers which are recorded in history. - 

 A whirlwind, for instance, passes over a place where 

 wool is spread to dry. It takes it up, and scatters it in 

 small locks, at a considerable distance. Here is the ap- 

 pearance of a shovver of wool. If it sweeps along a 

 mineral rivulet, of which there, are many among the 

 mountains of Italy, it carries innumerable metallic parti- 

 cles away, and sprinkles them 0*1 some distant town or 

 fields. Here is what they call a shower of iron. 



Hurricanes are foreseen at the Antibes by a calm, and 

 then a shifting of breezes from .all quarters; the suii 

 sets blood red, small clouds fly to and fro with great ra~ 

 K 4, 



