[335] 

 LUNAR INFLUENCES. 



BY THE REV. C. DADE, M.A. 



N O. I. — S ATURDAY MOON. 

 (Read "before the Canadian Institute, February 3rd, 1872.) 



Dr. Forester, of Bruges, in a conununication some years since to 

 the Astronomical Society, states that in a journal kept by himself, 

 his father and his grandfather, from 1767 to 1849, every Satiu-day's 

 new moon has been followed, nineteen times out of twenty, by 

 tw;enty wet and windy days. A correspondent of the Athenceum has 

 quoted several popular sayings to the same effect, as 



" Saturday's moon and Sunday's full 

 Never was fair, and never wuU." 

 and 



" If a Saturday's moon 

 Come once in seven years it comes too soon." 



Another correspondent says that he has heard it all his life from 

 English, American, French and Spanish seamen, and once from a 

 Chinese pilot. He added that he had himself constantly observed 

 the phenomenon. A third agaia affirms that seamen would as soon 

 sail on a Friday, as be in the Channel after a Saturday's moon. 

 Accordingly, in a tale called " Wiater Ci'uisings," published in the 

 U. S. Joui'nal for April, 1835, " Wad," the gunner, is introduced as 

 saving, "Matter enough; it's a new moon on Saturday." "Is that 

 all?" said his auditors, laughing. " Is that all f repeated Mr. Wad, 

 " I wish it were all, for I never knew a Saturday's moon without bad 

 weather all the month. I know all the fisherman dread a Saturday's 

 moon." 



The late Prof. DeMoi'gan observes with respect to the above 

 mentioned proverbs, " All this is curious, whether the thing is true 

 or false." This we may readily admit, and may, perhaps, be disposed 

 to class this opinion with that numerous tribe of superstitious 

 dogmas of which our satellite is made the prolific mother. But, at 

 the same time we must not forget that 



" There are more things in Heaven and earth, Horatio, 

 Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." 



