327 



marked in the intensity of the forces, are ob- 

 served only from time to time ; they are also 

 transitory, and cease with the duration of the 

 phenomenon. 



The reddish vapour, which spread a mist over 

 the horizon a little before the setting of the Sun, 

 had ceased since the 7th of November. The 

 atmosphere returned to it's former purity, and 

 the vault of the skies appeared at the zenith of 

 that deep blue tint, which is peculiar to cli- 

 mates where the heat, the light, and a great 

 equality of electric charge seem at once to com- 

 bine to promote the most perfect dissolution of 

 water in the air. I observed, on the night of 

 the 7th, the immersion of the second satellite 

 of Jupiter*. The belts of the planet were 

 more distinct than I had ever seen them be- 

 fore. 



I passed a part of the night in compar- 

 ing the intensity of the light emitted by the 

 beautiful stars, that shine in the southern sky. 

 I pursued this task carefully at sea, and dur- 

 ing my abode at Lima, at Guayaquil, and at 

 Mexico, in both hemispheres. Near half a 

 century has elapsed, since La Caille examined 



* I observed it at 11 h 25' 6" mean time, whence on com- 

 paring my observation with those of Viviers and Marseilles, 

 the long, of Cumana comes out 4° 26 / 6". (Obs. Ast., vol. i, 

 p. 79.) 



