Signs of rainy Weather by f 'olid bodies. 
The hardeft and moft folid wood will fwell by the 
moifture of the air *, this is evident by the difficulty of 
fhutting doors and windows in wet weather •, and 
boxes, efpecially of deal, and pegs of wood, when 
they draw and wind hard, are figns of wet Weather ; 
and this is caufed by the admiffion of air through the 
pores of the wood. 
Mr. Qzanam fays, The moift vapours do readily in- 
finuate into wood, efpecially that which is light and 
dry, it being extremely porous ; fo that they are fome- 
times made ufe of in dilating and breaking the hardeft 
bodies, and in particular mill-ftones ; for when they 
have cut a rock into a cylinder, they divide that into 
feveral leffer cylinders, by making feveral holes round 
the great cylinder, at proportional diftances, according 
to the thicknefs they defign the mill-ftones, and then 
fill them with as many pieces of Sallow wood dried in 
an oven ; for when the wet Weather comes, thefe 
wedges or pieces of wood become fo impregnated 
with the moift corpufcles of the air, that they fwell 
and break, or feparate the cylindrical rock into feve- 
ral ftones. 
And ftones, efpecially marble, will fweat againft wet 
Weather, though it be from an outward caule, in that 
the ftones are fo hard and folid, as not to admit the 
moifture of the air, and therefore it only lies upon the 
fuperftcies of the ftones. 
And the humidity of the air infmuates itfelf into the 
hardeft bodies, which are not deftitute of pores, and 
efpecially into light bodies that take up a great fpace. 
'\ 4 
Signs of rainy Weather from the planets. 
By the fun. If the fun, at its rifing, looks red, and 
broader than ufual, then many moift vapours are ga- 
thering from the fea, and the air is thickening •, and 
the beams of the fun, being diffufed in it, caufe the 
fun’s face to fliew a great deal bigger than ufual ; and 
in a fhort time you will perceive the clouds muttering, 
and overfpreading the heavens, and the air condenfing 
into a watery body. 
If this happens in fummer or autumn, when the 
Weather is hot, the fhowers that fall will be violent, 
but of fhort continuance ; but if this happens in the 
winter or fpring, it denotes fettled rains, but more 
moderate. 
It has been an obfervation, confirmed by long expe- 
rience, That if the fun rifes with a bluifti circle, in- 
clining to white, the air is grofs and condenfed, and 
rain will foon fall. 
And if, when the fun rifes, he is pale, and the fky is 
of a dulky red in the morning, it will be foon over- 
caft, and there muft quickly follow rain, attended with 
whifking winds. 
Alfo if the fun rifes of a mifty muddy colour, or in a 
black cloud, and diffufes his rays palilh toward the 
north and fouth* it foretels rain. 
It has been an obfervation, That if the fun fets un- 
der a thick cloud, rain will fall the next day •, or if it 
rains immediately, there v/ill be a great deal of wind 
the next day •, and this is almoft the conftant confe- 
quence of a pale fetting fun. 
Though a red fky at the fun rifing is a fign of rain, 
yet a red Iky when the fun fets is a fign of fair Wea- 
ther ; though indeed, if the fky be red at a great dif- 
tance from the part where the fun fets, as in the eaft, 
there will be either rain or wind the nejq day. 
As to the moon. A pale moon is a forerunner of 
rain, a red one of wind, and a clear one of fine Weather. 
When the moon is encompafied with a very large 
circle, or is dim and mifty, then there will follow wind, 
rain, or fnow, very quickly, probably within twenty- 
four hours. 
If the horns of the moon, at her firft rifing, or within 
two or three days after her change, are blunt, it be- 
tokens rainy Weather from that quarter. 
An iris round the moon is alfo a fign of rain, with a 
fouth wind. 
Two or three difcontinued and fpeckled circles or 
rings round the moon, befpeak a ftorm. 
Signs of rainy Weather from the clouds . 
If in an evening there appear many final! clouds 
from the weft, it fhews that rain is gathering, and 
will foon fall. 
When cloulds appear like rocks or towers, they fig- 
nify great fhowers. 
Mr. Ozanam fays, That when we fee little, black, 
loofe clouds, wandering too and fro, lower than the 
reft, we apprehend a future ftorm ; and when at the 
rifing of the fun, feveral clouds are feen to gather in 
the weft, and, on the other hand, if thefe clouds 
difperfe, it befpeaks fair Weather. 
When the fun through the clouds appears double or 
triple, it fhews a ftorm of long duration. 
Signs of rain from the rainbow. 
If the rainbow appears very big, it denotes much 
wet; but if very red, wind withal. 
If a rainbow appears after a long drought, it fignifies 
rain •, but if it appears after a long time of wet, it be- 
tokens fair Weather. 
If a rainbow appears in the morning, it betokens fmall 
fain, and fair Weather prefently after. 
If a rainbow variifhes altogether, fair Weather will 
follow, winds will arife, and bring great fhowers 
from the part that the rainbow firft begins to break or 
vanilh. 
If the rainbow be broken in many parts, tempeftuous 
winds are gathering in the air. 
If, after a rainbow appears, the colours grow darker 
and darker, rain is gathering ; if lighter, and the co- 
lours fairer, fair Weather. 
Mr. Ozanam fays, a rainbow in the eaft, efpecially 
if it be of a bright lively colour, is a fign of great rain. 
A rainbow iq the eaft, in an evening, prefages fair 
weather ; but if the colour is lively and red, it prefages 
wind. 
A rainbow in the weft foretels an indifferent quantity 
of rain and thunder. 
If two rainbows appear together, it foretels fair Wea- 
ther for the prefent, but rain two or three days after. 
PrognoJUcations of the Weather from mifis. 
If mitts arife out of ponds and rivers to the top of 
hills, it betokens that there will be rain foon, either 
the fame day, or commonly within two or three days ; 
but if, when they arife out of fuch places, they vanifh 
away, it is a fign of fair Weather. 
If there be a general mift, both on the hills and vales, 
before the fun rifing near the full moon, it denotes fair 
Weather. 
Mr. Ozanam fays, If you obferve a white vapour 
atifing upon waters, or marfhes, or meads, after fun- 
ic t, or before fun-rifing, it will be fair warm Weather 
the next day. 
Signs of fair Weather. 
When the fun is fair and bright at its rifing in a morn- 
ing, and is blufhing, without fpots or black clouds 
near him when he fets at night, it is a fign of fair 
Weather. 
When the moon is three or four days old, and has 
her horns fharp, and pointed very bright, it is a fign 
of fair Weather till file comes to the full, if not the 
whole month. 
If the moon has a bright filming circle about her when 
fhe is at the full, it promifes fair Weather for many days. 
When the ftars fhine out clear and bright, and feenq 
to dart out pointed rays, it is a fign of fair Weather. 
AJft* 
