Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1832-10-04

| in the lowlands of Palestine as well as ID
Egypt, is more common during the winter
than in summer while in the mountains.
on the contrary, il is more frequent in the
latter season, and very seldom heard ia
tho former. Tn both these countries it hap-
pens oftenest in the rainy season, or about
! the time of the equinoxes, especially the
autumnal; aud it is further remarkable
that it never comes from the land side, but
always from the sea- The storms, too,
generally speaking, take place either in the
evening or morning, and rarely in the mid
die OF the day. They are accompanied
with violent showers Of rain, and some-
times uncommonIy large drops Of hail,
which, soon covering the face of the coun-
try, with stagnant water, give rise to a CO.
plous evaporation.
The phenomenon alluded to by the
prophet Elijah, is still found to diversity
the aspect Of the eastern sky. Volney re-
marks, that clouds are sometimes seen to
dissolve and dispense like smoke; while
on other occasions they form in an instant,
and from small speck increase to pro-
digious size. This is particularly observe
able at the summit of Lebanon; and mar
liners have usually found that the appear
ance of cloud on this peak is an infallible
presage of westerly wind, one Of the
fathers of rain" in the climate of Judea.
Waterspouts were not unlreqnent along
the shores of Syria, and more especially in
the neighborhood of Mount Carmel
Those observed by DR.. Shaw appeared to
be So many cylinders Of water falling down
from the clouds though by the reflection
it might be Of these descending columns,
or from the actual dropping of the fluid
says he, appear at distance 10 BIO sucked
up from the sea. The theory of water
spouts in the present day does, in fact, adj
NIT the superstition here referred to; that
the air, being rari(ied by particular causes,
has its equilibrium restored by tho eleva-
ton ofathe water, on the same principle
that mercury rises in the barometer, or
the contents of well in a common pump.
The opinions of the learned traveller on
this subject are extremely loose and unsci-
entifc, and are only valuable in our times
as marking certain stage in 3sle progress
of meteorological inquiry. as
The same author has recorded fact
which we have not observed in the pages
ofany other tourist. In travelling by night,
in tho beginning of April, through the val
legs of Mount Ephraim, he was attended
for more than an hour by an ignis fatnus,
that displayed itself in a variety Of extra
ordinary appearances. II was sometimes
globular, and sometimes pointed, like the
flame of candle; then it spread itself, SO
as to involve the whole company in its
pale inollensive light; after which it con-
tracted, and suddenly disappeared. Bat
in less than minute it would begin again
to exert itself as ut other times, running a
long from one place TO another with great
swiitness, like train Of gunpowder set on
fire; or else it would expand itself over
more than two or three acres Of the ada
cent mountains, discovering every shrub
and tree that grew upon thom. The at
mospherc, from tho beginning of the ove-
ming, had been remarkably thick and hazy /;
and the dew, as felt upon the brides, was
unusually clammy and unctuous. Tn such
weather similar luminous bodies are OBJ
served skipping about the masts and yards
of ships, and are called by the mariners
COTpUSUWSCS COtyupbiOu wa sHO "esPOc~"~
to, or sacred body, ofthe Spaniards. The
same were the Castor and Pollux Of The
ancients. Some writer's have attempted
10 account for these phenomena, particu-
larly for tic ignis .tatuus, by supposing it
to be occasioncd by successive swarms Of
dying glow worms, or other insects of the
same nature. But, as Dr. Shaw observes,
not to perceive or feel any of these insects,
even when the light which they produce
spreads itself around Us, should induce us
to explain both this appearance and the
other on the received principle that they
ore actually metoors, or species of natur-
al phosphorus.-Jour. Of Health.
From Siuiaans journal Of Science and Arts.
Facts illustrative of the p0igcrs and OPP
erations of the human mind in a diseased
state.-Some years ago farmer of fair
character, who resided in an interior town
in New England, sold his farm with an in
tention of purchasing another in different
! town. His mind was naturally of mel
ancholy cast. Shortly after the sale Of
his farm, he was induced to believe that
he had sold it for less than its value. This
persuasion brought on dissatisfaction and
evidently considerable degree of melan-
cholv. In this situation, one Of his neigh
bors engaged him to enclose q lot of land
l with post and raiifence, which he was e