"328 'Meteorology. 



of vapour present in the atmosphere, as the intimate connexion 

 between them is too prominent to escape observation. 



I have, as you will perceive, offered no theoretical deductions, 

 if, as our continental brethren assert, that it does possess such 

 powerful and wonderful properties, it must be evident that the 

 American Association should at once take up the subject, in a 

 way that we may arrive at important conclusions. I should not 

 be justified in expressing a doubt on the labours of others in this 

 Department of Physical Science, neither do I think it fair to offer 

 any conclusions until our observations are more extended, and it 

 is with this intention that I have brought it before the Associa- 

 tion, hoping that between now and our next meeting, we may be 

 able to investigate and compare observations so as to give it a 

 proper place in this department of physical investigation. 



ART. XXIX. — On the Meteorology of the Vicinity of Montreal, 

 being reduced from Observations taken at St. Martin, Isle 

 Jesus, Canada East, by Charles Smallwood, M.,D., L.L.D. 

 Professor of Meteorology in the University of McGill 

 College. 



Being well aware that many of you are here for the first time 

 in this, our Northern city, and have scanned, and I have no doubt, 

 admired the numerous edifices — those artificial structures erected 

 by the human hand, guided by human skill, and well suited to our 

 wants. I am also aware that many among you have bent your 

 investigations beneath our alluvial and fruitful soil, to contemplate 

 the geology of our rocky formations, and the deposits of by- 

 gone ages, the work of that Divine Architect at whose command 

 those bright and countless orbs that spangle in our firmament 

 were brought into existence, and which forms to the astronomer 

 so many objects for his study ; — and I felt it might be interesting 

 to you to know something of our climatology, and it* is for this 

 purpose I intend laying before the section some remarks in 

 illustration, reduced from observations taken at St. Martins, nine 

 miles due west of this place, and I shall for this purpose confine 

 my observations to the means reduced from the last septennial 

 period, although the observations on record extend over a much 

 longer period of time. 



