222 Meteorological Phenomena in 



cloudless heavens, the scene becomes so beautiful that it drives all 

 thoughts of meteorology out of one's head. 



The difference in the configuration of a country has also a mo- 

 difying effect on all the phenomena connected with this ascending 

 current of air. Under this class of phenomena may be chiefly 

 reckoned the rain precipitation which takes place more regularly 

 at certain times of the day than at others. Thus, for one thunder 

 or hail storm which takes place at four o'clock in the morning, 

 sixty-seven come on at two o'clock in the afternoon. Great and 

 magnificent as these phenomena appear, they are still only local, and, 

 therefore, the per-centage of the Hail Insurance Company varies 

 for different provinces. A hail-storm is seldom more than half a 

 mile in breadth — a small, desolating strip. Snow falls in winter, sleet 

 in spring, hail in summer. The warmth of the atmosphere decreases 

 now, however, from below upwards. This is why snow in the 

 higher regions takes the form of sleet whilst falling, to which, when it 

 has descended into the warmer and lower strata, a transparent crust 

 of ice is added. Whilst pieces of nearly a pound weight are falling, 

 a lateral whirlwind, which apparently comes in an oblique direction 

 and continues warm for some time, mingles the moist lower air and 

 the cold upper air together. 



In Berlin, even, we have tolerably severe hail-storms now and then. 

 Our weather is, however, better in this respect than it has the cha- 

 racter of being. Why, then, has it gained such an ill name ? 



A distinguished foreigner visited Berlin in the year 1767, and was 

 invited by Frederick the Great to San Souci. " Of what do they talk 

 in Berlin ?" asked the King. " That your Majesty is arming, and 

 that there will be war," was the reply. In order, therefore, to give 

 a different turn to the conversation of the metropolis, the King com- 

 manded a report to be drawn up of a severe hail-storm at Potsdam, 

 which was to be copied into the Berlin newspapers, with directions to 

 take no refutation. The reporter laid on his colours pretty thick. 

 Masses of ice of the size of a pumpkin had fallen ; all the windows 

 had been shattered ; a brewer had had his arm broken ; and one of two 

 oxen yoked to a waggon had been killed. On the arrival of the Ber- 

 lin newspapers at Potsdam — where there had been most beautiful wea- 

 ther during the whole time — astonishment and vexation laid hold of 

 every body's mind ; the neighbourhood rose as one man, seized pen 

 in hand, and protested solemnly to the contrary of what had been 

 stated. Never had the posts in Berlin received so many letters ; each 

 of them asserting that everything was going on as usual in Potsdam, 

 that nothing extraordinary had taken place, no windows had been 

 shattered, no one's arm broken, no living being killed. But none of 

 these letters were published ; the news was copied into all the papers, 

 and the King's design had perfect success. Everywhere the hail- 

 storm, and nothing but the hail-storm, formed the subject of conver- 

 sation. As the report was never contradicted, it was transcribed into 

 all the scientific compendiums of the day; for at that time people 



