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THE MOON. 



hail, and snow, and in short, every particular respecting the weather has been 

 duly registered, from day to day, and often from hour to hour. 



The period of the lunar phases, it is needless to say, has also been reg- 

 istered, and it is, therefore, possible to compare one set of changes with the 

 other. 



This, in fine, has been done. We can imagine, placed in two parallel col- 

 umns, in juxtaposition, the series of epochs of the new and full moons, and 

 the quarters, and -the corresponding conditions of the weather at these times, 

 for fifty or one hundred years back, so that we may be enabled to examine, 

 as a mere matter of fact, the conditions of tho weather for one thousand or 

 twelve hundred full and new moons and quarters. The result of such an exami- 

 nation has been, that no correspondence whatever has been found to exist be- 

 tween the two phenomena. Thus let us suppose that one hundred and twenty- 

 five full moons be taken at random from the table : if the condition of the 

 weather at these several epochs be examined it will be found, probably, that in 

 sixty-three cases there was a change of weather, and in sixty-two there was 

 not, so that under such circumstances the odd moon in this division of one hun- 

 dred and twenty-five would favor the popular opinion ; but if another random 

 collection of one hundred and twenty-five full moons be taken, and similarly 

 examined, it will probably be found that sixty-three are not attended by chan- 

 ges of weather, while sixty-two are. With its characteristic caprice the moon 

 on this occasion opposes the popular opinion ; in short, a full examination of 

 the table shows that the condition of the weather as to change, or in any other 

 respect, has, as a matter of fact, no correspondence whatsoever with the lunar 

 phases. 



Such, then, being the case, it would be idle to attempt to seek for a physical 

 cause of an effect which is destitute of proof. 



PHYSICAL CONDITION OF THE LUNAR SURFACE. 



Curiosity will doubtless be awakened in a very lively manner regarding the 

 physical condition of our moon : what part has the Maker of the solar system 

 destined this body to play in the economy of his creation 1 Is it a globe teem- 

 ing with life and organization like the earth ? Is that orb, which rolls in silent, 

 serene majesty in her silent course through the midnight firmament, the abode 

 of life and intelligence ? The beauty of her appearance, and the interest insep- 

 arable from this, naturally lead the mind to conjectures of this kind. Yet the 

 circumstances which I have unfolded regarding the total absence of air and wa- 

 ter, appear to exclude the possibility of any such supposition. How, may it be 

 asked, can it be conceived that a globe can have upon it an organized world 

 which is destitute of fluid matter in every form ? How can growth, which im- 

 plies gradual change, increase, and diminution, and all the various effects in which 

 fluidity is an agent, go on there ? How can they proceed upon such a solid, 

 arid, unchangeable, crude mass 1 Let it be remembered what a multitude 

 of purposes in our natural and social economy are subserved by the combina- 

 tion of the water and the atmosphere of our globe. None of these purposes 

 can be fulfiiled upon the moon. Perhaps, however, our notions on such ques- 

 tions may be cleared up to some extent by a careful examination of the facts 

 that scientific research have collected together respecting the physical condition 

 of the surface of our satellite. 



If we examine the moon carefully, even without the aid of a telescope, we 

 shall discover upon it distinct and definite lineaments of light and shadow. 

 These features never change ; there they remain, always in the same position 

 upon the visible orb of the moon. Thus the features that occupy its centre 



