The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-21 00:00:00

SIGNS OF THE WEATHER.

The following communication has been forwarded
,o us for insertion by the National Lifeboat Insti-

.ution

Public attention has frequently been called to the inva.
luable use of a barometer for indicating a coming storm.
It not unfrequently happens that a notice of a gale is given
by a barometer two or three days before it actually takes
place. It seems plain that with such powers provi-
dentially placed in our hands, the calamities now endured
by our fishermen and coasters might in many instances be
avoided. A good barometer in a public situation would warn
them in time what to expect, and they would thus be fre-
quently able to avoid the terrible consequences of storms,
so often at present proving fatal to them.
Rear-Admiral Fitzroy, F.R.S., has compiled so tho-
roughly practical a manual for the use of a barometer, that
seafaring men or fishermen may soon become perfectly
familiar with the indications of the instrument. Some time
since, as chief of the Meteorological Department of the Board
of G overnment, he obtained the sanction of the Board of
Trade to supply some 40 of our poorer fishing villages with
barometers, some of which have been of good service to the
fishermen.

It is, however, evident that something more is absolutely
required in order to make barometers generally available
for our fishing and seafaring population; it is, therefore,
satisfactory to find that this important subject has been
taken up practically by the National Lifeboat Institution.
Admiral Fitzroy, who is a member of the committee,
gives the undertaking his cordial and valuable so-operation.
Tho admiral's own manual, as well as large placards con-
taining extracts from it, will be extensively circulated on the
coast, fully explaining the working of the barometer.
It is proposed to fix such barometers, wherever found
useful and practicable, in suitable positions at the society's
lifeboat houses, which are situated on most parts of the
coasts of the United Kingdom.
To carry out effectually this plan, the institution has for-
tunately the machinery at hand, for to each of its lifeboats
is attached a permanent coxswain, who receives a small an-
nual salary for the superintendence of the working part of
the establishment. It is proposed to instruct such of these
men as are found capable in the indications of the baroine-
ter, so that they may act as so many storm warners in the
towns or villages in which they reside.
It will be readily conceived that beneficial results may
accrue to life and property among our hardy coast popula-
tion from this important step. It is notorious that at the
present day the 'misters of our smaller coasting fishing
craft hardly over think of consulting a barometer, if indeed
they have an opportunity to do so.
It is estimated that a good barometer cannot be fixed at
a lifeboat house under £6, so that it will require a consider-
able sum to carry out effectually the above plan of the in-
stitution.

A benevolent gentleman has presented .C5O to the institu-
tion to be applied specially fur the purchase of barometers
for the lifeboat stations, and we cannot doubt that the pub-
lic will readily make up what may be further required.
The making of the barometers will probably be intrusted
to Messrs. Negretti and Zambra, who have supplied the
before named 40 instruments to the Board of Trade, for
various fishing stations on the northern coast, and a number
to the British Meteorological Society for, the coast of Nor-
thumberland. The object of the institution will be to obtain
a good instrument, one that will not easily get out of order
in travelling, or require renovating at frequent intervals ;
in short, a barometer that having been once set up at a
lifeboat station will be a permanent instrument of instruc-
tion, and one that will not entail any future expense to the
society. In order to meet these requirements the makers
have therefore introduced the following changes in the re-
gular instruments, which we think may fairly come under
the head of important improvements. The brass or
ivory scales that barometers are generally furnished with
are here replaced by a substantial plate of porcelain,
on which the degrees and figures are legibly engraved and
permanently blackened in, so that, as far as the figures and
divisions are concerned, there will be no danger of their
becoming faded or obliterated. This is a very important
improvement, especially for an instrument that has of
necessity to be placed in an exposed situation, where the
mariner may be able to consult it any time, even in the
middle of the night, should he wish to do so.
The mercurial tube of the barometer is of large diameter,
so as to render the mercury easily visible, and show the
slightest variation, and is so constructed that the liability
of air entering it is, we may say, entirely obviated ; for if
air by any means finds its way up the tube of a barometer,
let the quantity bo ever so small, the indications of the in-
strument are erroneous, and no longer to be relied on. To
prevent the admission of air to the vacuum above the mer-
curial column, a trap is laid at the bottom of the tube, near
the part called the cistern, so that if any air should find its
way into the tube it cannot possibly pass the trap, but is
there detained, and the instrument is no way deteriorated or
injured by its presence. These tubes are moreover " boiled."
The operation of boiling a barometer tube consists in filling
the tube with mercury, and then causing the mercury to
buil by placing the full tube over a charcoal fire ; iL is an
operation attended with considerable risk to the tube and
operator, and for this reason is seldom carried into practice,
and in the majority of barometers made it is altogether ne-
glected. The size of the mercurial column averages 4-10ths
of an inch, so that altogether instruments of the greatest
efficiency will be obtained. A great change has also been
effected in the old system of marking the scales with Fair,
Change, Rain, &c., words which in reality have 'often a
tendency to mislead, and to throw discredit on barometrical
indications.
The National Lifeboat Institution has recently diffused
useful information on the treatment of the apparently
drowned, and on the management of boats in heavy surfs
and broken water, which has already been productive of
public benefit, not only on the coasts of the British Isles,
but also over other parts of the globe.
It may also be fairly anticipated that similar beneficial
results will ensue from the establishment of these barome-
ters at its lifeboat stations.
We subjoin a synopsis of Admiral Fitzroy's Instruc-
tions on the use of Barometers. These instructions will
be printed on large placards for use on the coast, wherever
the barometers of the National Lifeboat Institution are
placed, and elsewhere :
" The barometer should be set regularly, by a duly au-
thorised person, about sunrise, noon, and sunset.
" The words on old scales of barometers should not be
so much regarded for weather indications as the rising or
falling of the mercury ; for if it stand at changeable, and
then rise towards fair, it presages a change of wind or
weather, though not so great as if the mercury had risen
higher; and, on the contrary, if the mercury stand above
fair and then fall, it presages a charge, though not to so
great a degree as if it had stood lower ; besides which, the
direction and force of wind are not therein noticed.

It is not from the point at which the mercury may
stand that we are alone to form a judgment of the state of
the weather, bit from its rising yr falling ; and from the
movements of immediately preceding days as well as
hours—keeping in mind effects of change of direction, and
dryness, or moisture, as well as alteration of force or
strength of wind. •
"It should always be reineiabered that the state of the
air foretells coming weather, rather than shows the weather
that is present—(an invaluable fact too often overlooked)—
that the longer the time between the signs and the change
foretold by them, the longer filch altered weather will last ;
and, on the contrary, the lessthe time between the warning
and the change, the shorter will be the continuance of such
foretold weather.

" If the barometer has been about its ordinary height,
say near 30 inches at the set-level, and is steady or rising,
while the thermometer falls, and dampness becomes less—
north-westerly, northerly, or north- easterly wind, or less
wind, less rain or snow may be expected.
" On the contrary, if a 1111 takes place with a rising ther-
mometer and increased dampness, wind and rain may be
expected from the south-eastward, southward, or south-
westward.
" A fall with low thermometer foretells snow.

" When the barometer is rather below its ordinary
height, say down to near 29} inches (at sea-level), a rise
foretells less wind, or a change in its direction towards
the northward—or less wet; but when it has been very
low, about 29 inches, the first rising usually precedes or
indicates strong wind—at times heavy squalls—from the
north-westward, northward, or north. eastward ; after
which violence a gradually-rising glass foretells improv-
ing weather, if the thermometer falls ; but if the warmth
continue, probably the wind will back (shift against the
sun's course), and more southerly or south-westerly wind
will follow, especially if the barometer's rise is sudden.
" The most dangerous shifts of wind, or the heaviest
northerly gales, happen soon after the barometer first rises
from a very low point; or if the wind veers gradually at
some time afterwards.

"Indications of approaching changes of weather, and
le direction and force of winds are shown less by the

height of the barometer than by its falling or rising,

Nevertheless, a height of more than thirty (30.0) inches
(at the level of the sea) is indicative of fine weather and
moderato winds ; except from east or north, occasionally.
"A rapid rise of the barometer indicates unsettled
weather; a slow movement, the contrary; as, likewise, a
steady barometer, which, when continued, and with dry-
ness, foretells very fine weather.
" A rapid and considerable fall is a sign of stormy
weather, and rain or snow. Alternate rising and sinking
indicates unsettled and threatening weather.
"The greatest depressions of the barometer are with
gales from S.E., S., or S.W. ; the greatest elevations, with
wind from N.W., N., or N.E., or with calm.
"A sudden fall of the barometer, with a westerly wind,
is sometimes followed by a violent storm from N.W., or
N., or N.E.
"If wind sets in from the E. or S.E., and the gale veers
by the moth, the Wow* will coating fan oath the

wind is near a marked change, when a lull may occur ;
after which the gale will soon be renewed, perhaps sud-
denly and violently, and the veering of the wind toward
the N.W., N., or N.E., will be indicated by a rising of the
barometer, with a fall of the thermometer.
" After very warm and calm weather, a storm or squall,
with rain, may follow ; likewise at any time when the
atmosphere is heated much above the usual temperature of
the season.

" Not only the barometer and thermometer, but appear-
ances of the sky and clouds should be vigilantly watched.

" SIGNS OF WEATUER.

" Weather clear or cloudy, a rosy sky at sunset presages
fine weather ; a red sky in the morning bad weather or much
wind, perhaps rain; a grey sky in the morning, fine weather;
a high dawn, wind; a low dawn, fair weather.*
" Soft-looking or delicate clouds foretell fine weather,
with moderate or light breezes; hard-edged, oily-looking
clouds, wind. A dark, gloomy, blue sky is windy ; but a
light, bright blue sky indicates fine weather. Generally
the softer the clouds look, the less wind (but perhaps more
rain) may be expected ; and the harder, more " greasy,"
rolled, tufted, or ragged, the stronger the coming wind
will prove. Also, a bright yellow sky at sunset presages
wind; a pale yellow, wet; and thus, by the prevalence of
red, yellow, or grey tints, the corning weather may be fore-
told, if aided by instruments, almost exactly. Small, inky-
looking clouds foretell rain ; light scud clouds driving across
heavy masses show wind and rain ; but if alone, may indi-
cate wind only.

" High upper clouds crossing the sun, moon, or stars in
a direction different from that of the lower clouds, or the
wind then felt below, foretell a change of wind.
" After fine clear weather, the first signs in the sky of a
coming change are usually light streaks, curls, wisps, or
mottled patches of white distant clouds, which increase,
and are followed by an overcasting of murky vapour that
grows into cloudiness. This appearance, more or less oily
or watery, as wind or rain will prevail, is an infallible sign.
" Light, delicate, quiet tints or colours, with soft, unde-
fined forms of clouds, indicate or accompany fine weather ;
but gaudy or unusual hues, with hard, definitely-outlined
clouds foretell rain, and probably strong wind.
" When sea-birds fly out early and far to seaward, mode-
rate wind and fair weather may be expected. When they
hang about the land, or over it, sometimes flying inland,
expect a strong wind, with stormy weather. As many
creatures besides birds aro affected by the approach of rain
or wind, such indications should not be slighted by an ob-
server who wishes to foresee wee ther.

" Remarkable clearness of atmosphere near the horizon;
distant objects, such as hills, unusually visible; or raised
(by refraction), and what is called a good hearing day,'
may be mentioned among signs of wind, if not wet, to be
expected.
" More than usual twinkling of the stars, indistinctness
or apparent multiplication of the moon's horns, halos,
wind dogs,' fragments or pieces of rainbows, sometimes
called seen on detached clouds, and the rain-
bow are more or less significant of increasing wind, if not
approaching rain, with or without wind.
" Lastly, the dryness or dampnese of the air, and its
temperature (for the season) should always be considered,
with other indications of change, or continuance of wind
and weather.

" On barometer-scales the
useful :

RISE
FOR
N. ELY.
NW.• N.-E.
DRY
OR
LESS
WIND.

Following contractions may be

FALL
FOR
S. W.-LY•
SE.-S.-W.
WET
OR
MORE
WIND.

EXCEPT
WET FROM

EXCEPT
WET FROM
N. ED.
" When the wind shifts against the sun,
Trust it not, for back it will run."

N. ED.

" First rise after very low
Indicates a stronger blow."

" Long foretold, long last,
Short notice, soon past."

* A high dawn is the break of day seen above clouds
instead of the horizon.

THE ITALIAN REVOLUTION.

----- -01, ...

The Italian Revolution, wonderful and rapid as
it has been, is not quite so spontaneous an emana-
tion as its careless admirers may believe. Many
influences have been at work to shake and loosen
that mosaic work of principalities and kingdoms
which 20 months ago appeared to be perfect and
almost secure. All the military power of the
greatest military nation in the world was but just
enough to move the blocks out of their solid bed.
Infinite patience has been required to watch and to
seize every opportunity that occurred to turn one
stone after the other. Mere enthusiasm has not
done it all, and never could have done it all. Frag-
ments of population do Hot unite into nations, and
slaves do not become free men by mere force of illu-
minations and popular shouting. There has been
statecraft and policy, and management of foreign
force, as well as courage and conduct, in the young
men of Italy. All these have been worked together
with a marvellous unity towards the common ob-
ject, and the consequence has been that the armies
of France have been used to break the armies of
Austria, the sympathies of Teutonic Europe have
been arrayed against the pretensions of France, and
the ground has been kept while the Italian Her-
cules wrought his labours without interruption
from abroad. This unity of purpose has now been
broken. Unhappily, discord has come to mar this
hitherto successful combination. The man of action
frets under the constraint imposed upon him by the
man of counsel; the man of genius grows impatient
of the pretensions of the man of policy. There have
long been symptoms of a coming rupture. In the
earlier stages of the contest the European public ad-
mired with astonishment the temper with which
Garibaldi submitted to the slights which were put
upon him by men infinitely his inferiors; but as
events wore on, and as the great qualities of
the Italian patriot raised him to be master of
the Revolution, it was evident that Hercules
would not continue to stand outside the city and
have his labours prescribed to him from within.
When Farini was expelled from Sicily it was
clear that Garibaldi had determined to be no longer
only the arm of Italy, and that he thenceforward
pretended to direct the policy as well as to enforce
the progress of the Revolution. The intelligence
from Turin which we publish to-day makes the
the occurrence of a rupture certain. Garibaldi
insists upon the dismissal of Cavour. The conqueror
of Sicily and Naples insists upon being set free from
the entanglements of Statecraft and diplomacy, and
permitted to finish the emancipation of Italy in a
plain soldierlike way.
Our instinctive sympathies are all with Garibaldi.
The first impulse of every man must be in favour of
the daring single-minded chief who admits only one
object, and pursues that with straight and undeviat-
ing rectitude. Garibaldi thinks that the sword is
the only weapon with which a brave man should
hope to free his country. The sentiment is heroic
and attractive ; it gains fame and followers ; it sus-
tains enthusiasm, and it betokens honesty—but in
this crooked world it does not always succeed.
Against such lath-and-plaster tyrannies as Gari-
baldi found in Sicily or in Naples a bold rush was
doubtless the best attack. One hard push, and the
whole edifice disappeared in dust and splinters.
The same summary course of action would also do
very well for countries where he would find a sym-
pathising people, and no more obstinate enemies
than the Irish garrison of Spoleto. Garibaldi has
done all this part of his work, and let no man
undervalue it. He has displayed not only adven-
turous daring but consummate ability. We wish we
English had a General from whom we could hope, at
oar need, for an achievement anything at all equal in
military merit to that Sicilian campaign. But, great
as his successes have been, they are the easiest part
of his " programme," and their way has been pre-
pared by that tortuous policy and crafty counsel
which ho now desires to cast away from him.
Garibaldi's conduct during the campaign in Lom-
bardy was beyond all praise. As a partisan leader
he harassed the enemy and occupied and eluded
very superior forces. But no one would be more
ready than Garibaldi to admit that it was not he
who defeated the Austrians or who drove them out
of Lombardy. The Austrians were driven out by the
French. Garibaldi has chased away all the deer,
and some of them stood at bay; but this achieve-
ment is not a promise of perpetual victory. Now
that Cialdini has dispersed the wretched mercena-
ries of the Pope there is nothing more to do except
to capture Rome and conquer Venetia. That is to
say, there is no impediment to the entire unity of
Italy, except only the necessity of concluding a
successful war with France and entirely defeating
Austria. Is this the serious project of Garibaldi ?
If so, we can only say of it, as the French said of
us at Balaclava, " treat magnque ; mais ce n'est
pas la guerre." Is this the cause of Garibaldi's
separation from Cavour ? It is scarcely possible to
believe that so shrewd a man and so great a man
as Garibaldi has shown himself, should, at the
turning point of his success, espouse so wild a
scheme. That he should hold fast by his idea of
Italian unity is but consistent with the character of
the man, and is but due to his own fame ; but that
he should desire to cast his mountaineers headlong
at the French army, and also at the Austrian for-
tresses, seems an impossible suggestion. All the
correspondence from Italy, however, tends to this
effect. It is certain that the Envoy from the King
of Sardinia has entirely failed in his mission, what-
ever the object of that may have been, and can
extract no concession from that obdurete Achilles.
The demand for the dismissal of Cavour and Farini
is only too unfortunately consistent with kis pro-
Min to proclaim the annexation of Naplea Dora

the top of the Quirinal. It may be that all these
reports do Garibaldi injustice, and that the "pro-
gramme" which he is determined to carry out is
not of the character attributed to him. It may be
that he is willing to wait until the flight of the
Pope or the spontaneous course of events shall
free Rome from her thraldom, and restore her to
her natural office in the Italian Peninsula. It
may be, also, that he is quite alive to the
madness of venturing within that great trap
which the Austrians still keep set and baited
close by Solferino, and that he is content to
wait for Venice until the expenses have told
upon the temper of the Austrian Reichsrath and
until the temptation of the ten millions offered by
Italy can no longer be resisted. It is possible that
the existence of designs which under present cir-
cumstances would savour of insanity may be only
suggested from Turin by persons in the interest
of the Ministers who are now proscribed by the
Dictator.

But, if so, why this pertinacious demand that
Cavour shall be dismissed ? Garibaldi has never
hitherto shown himself a man likely to be influenced
by merely personal motives. That he dislikes Cavour
is well known. That he dislikes him for his diplo-
macy and for his cession of Nice, and, possibly, also
for the unworthy manner in which he has some-
times treated Garibaldi, we are not now to be told.
That he should be determined not to give up Sicily
and Naples to be trafficked for between Cavour and
the Emperor of the French is very natural. We
may, perhaps, thus find it possible to accept the in-
disputable fact that Garibaldi has made this demand
without receiving with absolute confidence the in-
terpretation put upon it at Turin. Read it, how-
ever, as we may, it is a most disastrous movement.
Great as Garibaldi is, he is not more necessary to
the success of the Revolution now tending to its
accomplishment than Cavour is. There is some
equivocal work yet to be' done, which Garibaldi
cannot do. All the old symptoms of compensation
and annexation are reappearing. The French
journals are vehemently denying all designs upon
certain islands, just as they once before as vehe-
mently denied all designs upon Nice ; and France
is at the same time protesting against the annexa-
tion of Naples, just as she protested against the an-
nexation of Tuscany. These are matters which will
require management, and Cavour is the only man
who has the talent to carry such arrangements
through. Everything cannot be done by force, and
if it could Garibaldi does not possess the force. In
banishing Cavour Garibaldi disables one of the arms
of Italy. He is, moreover, creating a great pub-
lic scandal, for he is exhibiting to the world the
proof of a sad fact—that the two greatest labour-
ers for Italian unity, and the two most promi-
nent Italians, are unable to act together, He is
showing the old Italian weakness working, at her
extreme need, in her two best nice. There can be
no sufficient reason for this open strife. Both men
mean the same thing and are endeavouring to ob-
tain the same object; but Cavour recognises diffi-
culties which have to be avoided or conjured away,
while Garibaldi believes he can ride down all ob-
stacles sword in hand. If they insist upon separat-
ing, our sympathies will go forward with Garibaldi,
but our hopes will halt behind Cavour. Garibaldi's
impetuous system is admirable against his own
countrymen, but Cavour will be indispensable to
Italy as an antagonist for France and Austria.—
Tines.