June 1833. 



SIGNS OF WEATHER. 



285 



and had it not been for the great advantages Maldonado 

 and Gorriti offered in other respects, the situation might 

 have been deemed exceedingly ill- chosen for such a purpose. 

 Only when there was no swell could we haul her alongside and 

 heave her down (an operation under any circumstances difficult, 

 as she was one hundred and seventy tons in burthen, and we 

 were but two hundred and thirty-five) and many days some- 

 times intervened on which no progress could be made. Every 

 morning, at dawn of day, Lieut. Sulivan and T used to watch 

 the sky most anxiously, in order to know whether it would be 

 worth while unmooring, and warping the vessels together, and 

 as the indications we looked for never deceived us, 1 will here 

 mention them. Though familiar to all who lead a country or sea- 

 faring life, and often rise before the sun, they may be of use to 

 others, whose attention has not been drawn to 'weather wisdom.' 



When the first streak of light appeared close to the horizon, 

 and the sun's rising was preceded by a glow of faint red, not 

 extending far, a fine day succeeded, whether the sky were then 

 overcast or clear ; but if the first gleam of light appeared high 

 above the horizon, behind clouds, and there was much red, 

 not only near the sun, but visible on clouds even near the 

 zenith, wind, if not rain, was sure to follow. Between the 

 extremes of course there may be many varieties of appearance 

 as well as of succeeding weather ; but as I have found such 

 signs followed by similar weather, in most parts of the world, 

 and as I have often profited by them, with reference to mak- 

 ing or shortening sail, &c. ; I do not like to pass over this 

 occasion for a hint to the inexperienced. I have always found 

 that a high dawn (explained above) and a very red sky, fore- 

 told wind — usually a gale ; that a low dawn and pale sun-rise 

 indicated fine weather ; that the sun setting behind a bank of 

 clouds, with a yellow look, was a sign of wind, if not rain, and 

 that the sun setting in a clear horizon, glowing with red, was 

 an unfailing indication of a coming fine day. I have already 

 said (page 50), that hard-edged, oily-looking clouds, foretell, 

 if they do not accompany wind, and that soft clouds — clouds 

 which have a watery rather than an oily look — are signs of 



