155 



Meteorological Phenomena in connection with the Climate of 

 Berlin. Translated by Mrs Anne Ramsden Bennett 

 from the German of Professor Dove. 



Attention has generally been awakened to atmospherical appear- 

 ances, where the usual course of nature has been intercepted by 

 striking meteorological phenomena. The cloudless serenity of a tro- 

 pical sky, and the regular recurrence of periodical changes, attract 

 little observation. The interest which meteorology excites is much 

 more directly associated with uncertainty of weather. It would 

 scarcely occur to any one here to begin a conversation with the re- 

 mark, that the sun had really set at its appointed time ; and as little 

 would it occur to any one in tropical climates to make the weather 

 a subject of conversation. It is for this reason we possess so few 

 meteorological observations on more favoured climates. How, in- 

 deed, could it be expected any one should note down changes which 

 regularly take place at certain periodical times. He alone feels 

 prompted to such a course who finds himself transported out of the 

 variable conditions of one atmospherical life into the untroubled re- 

 gularity which distinguishes tropical regions ; and which appears to 

 him in such striking contrast with the weather to which he has been 

 accustomed, that he requires the confirmation afforded by meteoro- 

 logical instruments before he can trust the immediate evidence of 

 his senses. For this reason we so often acquire a more accurate 

 knowledge of the peculiarities of a climate from travellers resident 

 in it for only a short time, than we do from the partial accounts 

 given us by its inhabitants. The only disadvantage which results 

 from this is, that the lively imagination of strangers makes the con- 

 trasts appear too striking; thus dwellers in the north see every- 

 thing in the south through a rose-coloured medium ; and in like 

 manner, we rarely forget, when reading Tacitus's description of 

 Germany, that it is an Italian who is speaking of our native land. 



The uniformity which distinguishes tropical climates is denied 

 to our latitudes. Europe has been called the April climate of the 

 world; but this description applies in general only to those parts of 

 it which, without being washed by the sea, are still not sufficiently 

 distant from it to be entirely free from its influence. Where this is 

 not the case, the temperature degenerates into sharp contrasts, and a 

 glowing summer succeeds to an icy winter ; but when the influence of 

 the sea preponderates, both seasons of the year lose their more marked 

 characteristics. In Italy and the Canary Islands finer grapes are 

 not to be found than grow in Astrachan, and yet in order to pro- 

 tect these vines from the frosts during winter, they are sunk deep 

 into the earth ; for even south of Astrachan, at Kitzlar, near the 

 mouth of the Terek, the temperature in winter sinks as low as 36° 

 Fahr. The difference between both extremes is so great, that on 

 the steppes of Orenburg, the camel, the ship of the desert, and the 



