Chapter I: Front Matter

THE
RAIN CLOUD:

OR,
An Account
OF
THE NATURE, PROPERTIES, DANGERS,
AND USES OF RAIN,

IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD.

* * * * *

PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF
THE COMMITTEE OF GENERAL LITERATURE AND EDUCATION
APPOINTED BY THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING
CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.

* * * * *

LONDON:
Printed for the
SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.
SOLD AT THE DEPOSITORY,
GREAT QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS,
AND 4, ROYAL EXCHANGE.

1846.

LONDON:
R. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD STREET HILL.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. p. 10. RAINS PECULIAR TO EACH SEASON--SPRING SHOWERS--MIDSUMMER RAINS--RAINS OF AUTUMN AND WINTER--MEANS OF SUPPLYING THE EARTH WITH RAIN--RAIN CLOUDS--DECEPTIVE APPEARANCES OF CLOUDS--THEIR LIGHT AND SHADE--EFFECTS OF CLOUDS IN MOUNTAINOUS COUNTRIES--ASCENT OF MONTE PIENTIO--ASCENT TO THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE--GRAND EFFECTS OF CLOUDS IN THE PYRENEES--VOYAGE IN A BALLOON THROUGH THE CLOUDS. CHAPTER II. p. 37. EFFECTS OF RAIN IN MOUNTAINOUS DISTRICTS--THE DISTRICT OF MORAY--THE GREAT FLOODS OF 1829--COMMENCEMENT OF THE RAIN--THE SWOLLEN RIVERS--DISASTROUS EFFECTS OF THE FLOOD--MEANS ADOPTED FOR THE RESCUE OF COTTAGERS--KERR AND HIS BRAVE DELIVERERS--RESCUE OF FUNNS AND HIS FAMILY--FLOODS OF THE RHONE IN 1840--OVERFLOWING OF THE MISSISSIPPI. CHAPTER III. p. 74. VARIOUS FORMS OF CLOUDS--THE CIRRUS, OR CURL-CLOUD--THE CUMULUS, OR STACKEN-CLOUD--THE STRATUS, OR FALL-CLOUD--THE CIRRO-CUMULUS, OR SONDER-CLOUD--THE CIRRO-STRATUS, OR WANE-CLOUD--THE CUMULO-STRATUS, OR TWAIN-CLOUD--THE NIMBUS, OR RAIN-CLOUD--ARRANGEMENT OF RAIN-CLOUDS--APPEARANCES OF A DISTANT SHOWER--SCUD--CAUSE OF RAIN--FORMATION OF CLOUDS--MISTS--HEIGHTS OF CLOUDS--APPEARANCE OF THE SKY ABOVE THE CLOUDS. CHAPTER IV. p. 107. ON HAIL--THE HAIL-STORMS OF FRANCE--THE DISASTROUS EFFECTS OF HAIL--THE HAIL-STORMS OF SOUTH AMERICA--THEIR SURPRISING EFFECTS--ORIGIN AND NATURE OF HAIL--PERIODICAL FALLS OF HAIL--HAIL CLOUDS--HAILSTONES--THEIR VARIOUS FORMS--EXTRAORDINARY SIZE OF HAILSTONES. CHAPTER V. p. 117. METHOD OF MEASURING THE QUANTITY OF RAIN THAT FALLS--THE RAIN GAUGE--METHODS OF OBSERVING FOR RAIN AND SNOW--EFFECTS OF ELEVATION ON THE QUANTITY OF RAIN--DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TOP OF A TALL BUILDING AND THE SUMMIT OF A MOUNTAIN--SIZE OF DROPS OF RAIN--VELOCITY OF THEIR FALL--QUANTITY OF RAIN IN DIFFERENT LATITUDES--EXTRAORDINARY FALLS OF RAIN--REMARKS ON THE RAIN OF THIS COUNTRY--INFLUENCE OF THE MOON--ABSENCE OF RAIN--REMARKABLE DROUGHT IN SOUTH AMERICA--ITS TERRIBLE EFFECTS AND CONSEQUENCES--ARTIFICIAL RAINS. CHAPTER VI. p. 137. THE RAINBOW--DECOMPOSITION OF WHITE LIGHT BY THE PRISM--FORMATION OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY BOWS--RAINBOWS IN MOUNTAIN REGIONS--THE RAINBOW A SACRED EMBLEM--LUNAR RAINBOW--LIGHT DECOMPOSED BY CLOUDS--THEIR BEAUTIFUL COLOURS--EXAMPLES. CHAPTER VII. p. 157. REMARKABLE SHOWERS--SHOWERS OF SAND--OF MUD--SHOWERS OF SULPHUR, OR YELLOW RAIN--LUMINOUS RAIN--RED RAIN, OR SHOWERS OF BLOOD--SUPERSTITIONS CONNECTED THEREWITH--EXPLANATION OF THE CAUSE--SHOWERS OF FISH--SHOWERS OF RATS--SHOWERS OF FROGS--INSECT SHOWER--SHOWERS OF VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES--MANNA--WHEAT--SHOWERS OF STONES--METEORIC STONES, OR AEROLITES--METEORIC IRON--SUPPOSITIONS RESPECTING THEM--FOSSIL RAIN. CHAPTER VIII. p. 191. COMMON SAYINGS RESPECTING THE WEATHER--SAINT SWITHIN'S-DAY--SIGNS OF RAIN OR OF FAIR WEATHER DERIVED FROM THE APPEARANCE OF THE SUN--FROM THAT OF THE MOON--FROM THE STARS--FROM THE SKY--FROM THE DISTINCTNESS OF SOUNDS--FROM THE RISING OF SMOKE--FROM THE PECULIAR ACTIONS OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS--PROGNOSTICS NOTICED BY SIR HUMPHREY DAVY--SIGNS OF RAIN COLLECTED BY DR. JENNER--NORTH AMERICAN RAIN-MAKERS--INCIDENT RELATED BY CATLIN--RAIN-DOCTORS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA--RAIN-DOCTORS OF CEYLON--SUPERSTITIONS GIVING WAY TO THE TEACHING OF MISSIONARIES--CONCLUSION.

[Picture: Clouds among the mountains]