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METHOD

For making a History of the Weather. By Mr. HOOK.

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'Or the better making a History of the Wea ther, I conceive it requisite to observe,

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66 1. The Strength and Quarter of the Winds, "and to register the Changes as often as they happen; both which may be very conveniently. "fhewn, by a small addition to an ordinary Wea"ther-clock.

"2. The Degrees of Heat and Cold in the Air; "which will be belt observed by a sealed Thermometer, graduated according to the Degrees of "Expansion, which bear a known proportion to the "whole bulk of Liquor, the beginning of which gra"dation, should be that dimension which the Liquor "hath, when encompassed with Water, just begin"ning to freeze, and the degrees of Expansion, either greater or less, should be set or marked above it or "below it.

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3. The Degrees of Dryness and Moisture in the "Air; which may be most conveniently observed by a Hygroscope, made with the single beard of a wild "Oat perfectly ripe, set upright and headed with an "Index,after the way described by Emanuel Magnan; "the conversions and degrees of which, may be mea "fured by divisions made on the rim of a Circle, in

"the

"the Center of which, the Index is turned round: "The beginning or Standard of which Degree of "Rotation, should be that, to which the Index points, "when the beard, being throughly wet, or covered "with Water, is quite unwreathed, and becomes "ftraight. But because of the smalness of this part of "the Oat,the cod of a wild Vetch may be used instead "ofit,which will be a much larger Index, and will be "altogether as sensible of the changes of the Air.

cr 4. The degrees of Pressure in the Air: which may be several wayes observed, but best of all "with an Instrument with Quicksilver, contrived "fo, as either by means of water or an Index,it may "fensibly exhibit the minute variations of that Acti

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"5. The constitution and face of the Sky or Heavens; and this is best done by the eye; here should "be observed, whether the Sky be clear or clouded ; "and if clouded, after what manner; whether with "high Exhalations or great white Clouds, or dark "thick ones. Whether those Clouds afford Fogs or "Mists, or Sleet, or Rain, or Snow,&c. Whether the "under side of those Clouds be flat or waved and irregular,as I have often seen before thunder. Which way they drive, whether all one way, or some one way, some another; and whether any of these be "the same with the Wind that blows below; the "Colour and face of the Sky at the rising and setting "of the Sun and Moon; what Haloes or Rings may "happen to encompass those Luminaries, their big❝ness form and number.

"6. What Effects are produc'd upon other bo"dies: As what Aches and Distempers in the bodies "of men: what Diseases are most rife, as Colds, Fe

❝vours,

vours, Agues, &c. What putrefactions or other "changes are produc'd in other bodies; As the sweat"ing of Marble, the burning blew of a Candle, the sc blasting of Trees and Corn; the unusual sprouting, "growth, or decay of any Plants or Vegetables: the "putrefaction of bodies not usual; the plenty or "fcarcity of Insects; of several Fruits, Grains, Flow"ers,Roots,Cattel,Fishes,Birds, any thing notable of "that kind. What conveniences or inconveniences ، may happen in the year, in any kind, as by flouds, "droughts, violent showers,.What nights produce "dews and hoar-frosts, and what not?

"7. What Thunders and Lightnings happen, and "what Effects they produce; as souring Beer or Ale, "turning Milk, killing Silk-worms, &c?

"8. Any thing extraordinary in the Tides; as "double Tides, later or earlier, greater or less Tides "than ordinary. Rising or drying of Springs; CoCC mets or unusual Apparitions, new Stars, Ignes fatui. or shining Exhalations, or the like.

"These should all or most of them be diligently "observed and registred by some one, that is alwayes ❝ conversant in or neer the same place.

"Now that these and some other, hereafter to be "mentioned, inay be registred so as to be most con "venient for the making of comparisons, requisite "for the raising Axioms, whereby the Cause or Laws "of Weather may be found out; It will be desirable "to order them so, that the Scheme of a whole "Moneth,may at one view be presented to the Eye : "And this may conveniently be done on the pages of ❝a Book in folio, allowing fifteen dayes for one side,. " and fifteen for the other. Let each of those pages ❝ be divided into nine Columes,and distinguished by

"per-

"perpendicular lines; let each of the first six Co"lumes be half an inch wide,and the three last equally share the remaining of the side.

"Let each Colume have the title of what it is to ❝contain,in the first at least,written at the top of it: "As,let the first Colume towards the left hand, con"tain the dayes of the Moneth, or place of the Sun, and the remarkable hours of each day. The second, "the Place, Latitude, Distance, Ages and Phaces of "the Moon. The third the Quarters and strength of "Winds. The fourth the Heat and Cold of the sea"fon. The fifth the Dryness and Moisture of it. The "fixth the Degrees of pressure. The seventh the fa

ces and appearances of the Sky. The eighth the "Effects of the Weather upon other bodies, Thun"ders, Lightnings, or any thing extraordinary. The "ninth general Deductions, Corollaries or Syllo"gisms, arising from the comparing the several Phanomena together.

"That the Columes may be large enough to con"tain what they are designed for,it will be necessary, "that the particulars be expressed with some Cha"racters, as brief and compendious as is possible. "The two first by the Figures and Characters of the "Signs, commonly us'd in Almanacks.The Winds may "be exprest by the Letters, by which they are ex"prest in small Sea-Cards:and the degrees of strength “by 1, 2, 3, 4, &c. according as they are marked in "the contrivance of the Weather-cock. The degrees "of Heat and Cold may be exprest by the Numbers "appropriate to the Divisions of the Thermometer. "The Dryness and Moisture, by the Divisions in the "rim of the Hydroscope. The pressure by Figures <denoting the height of the Mercurial Cylinder. But

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❝for the faces of the Sky, they are so many, that ma66 ny of them want proper names; and therefore it "will be convenient to agree upon some determi66 nate ones, by which the most usual may be in brief ૮૬ exprest. As let Cleer signifie a very cleer Sky withce out any Clouds or Exhalations: Checker'd a cleer Sky, with many great white round Clouds, such as are very usual in Summer. Hazy, a Sky that looks "whitish, by reason of the thickness of the higher parts of the Air, by some Exhalation not formed into Clouds. Thick, a Sky more whitened by a greater company of Vapours: these do usually make "the Luminaries look bearded or hairy, and are of"tentimes the cause of the appearance of Rings and "Haloes about the Sun as well as the Moon. Overcast, "when the Vapours so whiten and thicken the Air, "that the Sun cannot break through; and of this "there are very many degrees, which may be exprest "by a little, much, more, very much overcast, &c. Let "Hairy signifie a Sky that hath many small, thin and “high Exhalations, which resemble locks of hair, or "flakes of Hemp or Flax: whose varieties may be

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exprest by straight or curv'd, &c. according to the "resemblance they bear. Let Water'd signifie a Sky "that has many high thin and small Clouds,looking "almost like water'd Tabby, called in some places a "Mackeril Sky. Let a Sky be called Waved, when "those Clouds appear much bigger and lower, but "much after the same manner. Cloudy, when the Sky "has many thick dark Clouds. Lowring, when the "Sky is not very much overcast, but hath also under"neath many thick dark Clouds which threaten "rain. The signification of gloomy, foggy, misty, sleet❝ing, driving, rainy, snowy, reaches or racks vaᏃ

«riable,