50 M. W. Harrington — Weather making. 
was proposed, because the first one had rendered it difficult, after crossing 
the lines, to distinguish the white men from the negroes At length, 
however, the pleasant breezes ceased, which had made the weather for 
a while endurable, and the still air and intense heat returned, and with 
them constant murmurs from the men, especially the negroes, whose 
duty it was to cut lines and mark trees. We were now on the confines of 
a saw-grass pond, and a much more formidable one than any we had yet 
encountered. Being surrounded by a cypress swamp, we concluded that 
it had never yet been burned. My assistant, Captain Alexander Mackay, 
who was standing by my side, mentioned his having, in our late con- 
flagration, observed the formation ofa cloud at the apex of the smoke. 
He added that it had frequently since brought to his mind some account 
which he had read of Professor’s Espy’s theory. He suggested that there 
could not be a better opportunity than this to put the theory to the test, 
and, being fond of a joke, he said he would like to astonish the supersti- 
tious negroes and to make them believe that he could call together the 
clouds and bring down rain. So we determined to make the experiment. 
When our party were all gathered at the halting place complaints of 
the extreme heat went round and all unanimously agreed that a more 
confined and oppressive day had never been known to them. To these 
complaints the usual wishes for ‘‘a little breath of air” and ‘‘a few 
drops of rain” succeeded. ‘‘Cut through this pond,” exclaimed the 
captain, ‘‘and I will bring you more than a few drops of rain; I'll give 
you a plentiful shower and a breeze, too, that shall wake you up. Come, 
boys, cut away, and when you’ve done you shall wash off the dust in a 
cold bath from the skies!’’ They stared up and around; not a cloud as 
large as a man’s hand was to be seen, and they looked back at the captain 
with a good-natured grin of incredulity. ‘‘Ho, ho! ha, ha! Captain 
make cloud out 0’ nuffin’; he, he! Captain bring water all dis way from 
de sea? Ho, ho! ha, ha! he, he!” Whereupon the Captain affected to 
be very indignant. To hasten his victory I ordered the grass to be set on 
fire. The flames soared forthwith above the tallest trees; a dense vol- 
ume of smoke mounted upward spirally; the grass soon disappeared; we 
crossed over. As the smoky column broke and the cloud began to form 
the Captain traced a large circle in the-sand around him, and placed him- 
self in its center, making fantastic figutes and forming cabalistic phrases 
out of broken French. Still was the cloud unnoticed. All eyes were 
riveted upon the Captain, who stood gazing at the earth and shaping 
outlines of devils there. At this juncture came a roll of distant thunder. 
Every glance instantly turned upward; a cloud was spreading there; the 
thunders increased ; the lightnings flashed more vividly; the knees of 
the negroes shook together with alarm. Already was the rain descend- 
ing, and in torrents, though the clear sky could be seen in all directions 
under the cloud. The Captain meanwhile maintained his mystical atti- 
tude and continued his wild and extraordinary evolutions. Some of the 
whites, who were in the secret of the hoax, fell upon their knees, and 
were imitated by the negroes, whose fears augmenting as the storm 
grew fiercer, with clasped hands, fastened upon the Captain a stare of 
