The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register., 1824-12-30


ways blow one way round the whole world. O.
thcr Philosophers have endeavoured to account
for winds, from the grayitation Of the earth and
its atmosphere, towards the sun and MOON
MuscHENBRoEcK, in his introduction to natural
philosophy, denies the truth of this theory, and
gives his reasons for rejecting it. Henry EELEs,
in paper read before the Philosophical Society,
and recorded in their transactions, Vol Xix. p.
124, supposcs that Electricity is the great agent
in producing winds BnIssoN united in this opin-
ion; but CAv,LLo rejects it. Some late writer's
have told us, that winds are produced by sudden
mrcfaction or condensation Of the air, in particu
lar places or districts. This may be very true,
but it gives US no data by which to calculate the
future state Of the weather, even for single day.
Thus, after lapse of nearly two thousand
years, notwithstanding the great progress of gen.
cral knowledge, my text remains almost as APP
| plicablc to the present race of human beings as
| it did to the inhabitants of Judea, when it was
first delivered. " Tie wiad bio,ceth Where It list
efh ami ne hear the sound hereef, Tut kao,o mol
Whence it comeM nor mhitber 1t goeth." Of the
gentle zephyr and the terrible tornado, we know
nothing, but their effects.
But even admitting that their causes were well
known, and could be demonstrated as clearly as
any of Euclid's problems, we should be very lit
tic, if any, better qualified to predict the future
state of the weather, than we are at present; I'M
less indeed those ca,iscs were uniform III their
operations, and We could know when and where
they would begin to produce their effects Sup
pose, for instance ii were asccrtained, that cleo
tricity produces the various phenomena of the
winds, how should that knowledge increase Our
productive powers Suppose it were universally
admitted tina; the sudden condensation or rarefac-
ton Of tho atmosphere, was the cause of winds;
how would that enable us to tell what then
course would be at any future peliod'
have been led to make the foregoing obscr
vations from reading in your paper OF the q
i inst, an essay signed "WilminSton Farmer
The author thinks he has discovered that the
moon has great influence on the elements; ant
that he can give "rulcs fitted to our latitude ant
t longitude" by which we may prognosticatc thu
i future state Of the weather with much certainty
c That the moon has no influence upon the wea
j, Their, will not assert. 1t is probable it may b.
a one of the many causes which operate to produces
C the numerous changes we experience, i'll tin
\ temperate attitudes. Its influence however mus
= be very small, and constantly liable to be over
If powered by more effective causes, so that an
# rules founded upon the force Of 50 weak an agen
l. can never be worthy of confidence. The per-
i odcal change of gravity in the atmosphere, ha
II been found, on q mean of ten years, to depres
e the barometer but one tenth of all inch, Will
&c the moon is passing from the first quarter to tn
n full, and from the last quarterto the new-and
Of elevate the baromcteri the same proportion, dl
re ring her return to the quarters From which
Or must be evident, that her influence ill producin
changes of the weather, cannot be sufficient
" warrant any dependence upon the ' Farmers
IN rules.
n. But waving the reasons have stated for II
iecting these "rulcs," we have conclusive ey
dcncc Of their worthlcssness from cIpetieacc.-
It is now thirty-hve days since the Farmer
wrote his essay, in the conclusion of which ]
tells us, that on consulting his rules, "he do
not calculate on long continuance of this d
Eghtful weather.! Now what is the fact WI
ever since, with very little interruption, althoue
We have past the winter solstce, and are a
vanced nine days towards the vernal eq,
noy, VIC have had, and still have, the most d
lightful weather that has been known, at til
season of the year, within the memory of man,
BACON.
P.S. Please give my best respects to yo
correspondent TONY GuBBlNS.
"THE DEVIL AMONG THE PRINTERS
"I.et us talk of Invasion and blood,
':Noah's Ark, Noah's self and the flood"
OLD SoNG
There is an old song called "The De,
among the Tailors," but we fear from II
transactions in our nighbourhood last eve
ing, some ninth part Of poet would take i
to his head, by means of a parody to assoc
ate our heaeeable profession with evil comp
ny. Besides if tradition speakes true OF
blazing breath and red hot fingers OF his
tanic Majesty, his touch would rather M
81, 6, ,,,1t t1,t,Nxu