12 RemarJis on Indian Summers. 



moisture. The earth's surface is on the whole becoming dryer and 

 dryer. September comes, and with it a reduction of temperature 

 from a well known cause. The vapor begins to condense into 

 clouds. Currents and counter currents of air are formed, and, aided 

 no doubt by electrical phenomena in some way we do not understand, 

 the autumnal rains commence, with what is called the " equinoctial 

 storm." These continue generally till past the middle of October, 

 when the equilibrium seems, from some cause, to be restored. The 

 elements cease to contend, a mild bland atmosphere ensues, and the 

 earth soon absorbs the rain which has fallen. The sun has yet in- 

 fluence enough to keep up a mild temperature, under this quiet state 

 of the atmosphere, and Indian summer commences. As to the ^7^- 

 creased temperature, during Indian summer, ' we cannot agree to it. 

 From the document we have quoted, (Meteorological register,) it 

 appears, that the mean temperature for November, is somewhat 

 lower than that of October. It is from the quiet placid state of the 

 atmosphere, that some are led to suppose it is actually warmer. But 

 he who keeps an accurate record of the thermometer will find it is a 

 mistake. Frosts have already put a stop to vegetation. The leaves 

 have fallen, annual plants have become dry, and the fields, the 

 swamps, the forests and the prairies are set on fire by Indians and 

 hunters. The smoke arising from them is abundantly sufficient to 

 produce all that peculiar redness of the sky so common to Indian 

 summer. We have seen at a glance, thousands and tens of thou- 

 sands of acres on fire ; the smoke of which no doubt, affected the at- 

 mosphere for three or four hundred miles. This appearance of the 

 decline of Indian summer in the eastern states, of which the writer 

 speaks, may be thus accounted for. The forests there are disappear- 

 ing. What are left, (Indians, there are none,) hunters dare not set 

 on fire ; therefore the smoky atmosphere, so identified with Indian 

 summer, is of less frequent occurrence. Real Indian summer prob- 

 ably continues about the same ; but without that peculiar redness of 

 the sky, it is not noticed. We arrived at this post the third day of 

 last November. We had three weeks of Indian summer, with all 

 that peculiar redness of the sky, mentioned above, in great perfec- 

 tion. The prevailing winds were west and north of west, with a 

 dry atmosphere. The country was on fire in various places for forty 

 miles around us. 



I have thus given you some of my views of Indian summer, found- 

 ed on practical observation. As the writer of the article on this 



