The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-05-16
THE INFLUENCE OF THE MOON UPON
THE WEATHER.

There is M mote extensively known aud
universally believed superstition, than that the
changes Of the moon have some effect on the
weather. The classic student find traces -.
this belief in very early times: and years a" J
observation seems rather 10 have confirmed
than shaken mems Iailh.-VirgiI, in his beau
tifil songs for the hu<bandmen, written before
Christ was on earth, thus ives the signs OF The
new moon
"lf the moon renews her rehuent beam,
Through the dark air her horns obscurely CLEAN,
Along the wasted earth and stormy main,
In torrents drive the congrega'ed rain
Bu. if (uncrrins signJ the orb Of might,
Clear, wheel through heaven her forth ncreas-
ing light
Rain nor rude blast shall vex that hailowed day
And thus the nonth shall glide serene away"
Another Latin writer, even earlier than Vir
Gil, says that if the new moon have its upper
horn darkcned, the last half oflhe month will I've
rainy. But ifthe lower horn he darkcned,
The irslshalf Of tie month will be rainy while
flhc middle be darkcncd the middle OF The
month will he rainy"
In our day the popular maxim seems 10 he,
that we may look for change of weather at
every change of the moon.
1t appears thai. there must be something to
distinguish this from mos other signs, or like
them, it would have its day ard he forgotten.
1t becomes one, before he rejects it as alIoeeIh.
or unworthy his notice, 10 account for its hav-
ing taken such strong hold upon mems faith
We hear men every few days ullrring their
grave predictions concerning the weather, and
if you question their signs, they soemny assure
lis that many years observation goes farther
with them, than all our scientific sccrticism.
And there have been individuals, who, during
the greatest Fart of their lives. have compared
the changes o the moon and weather. Toaldo
OF padua, made these observations for forty five
years. Every crangr of weather after change
of the moon, he attributed 10 The change; and
that is about the time generally claimed. tie
gives us rs the result of these tedious cacu'a
tons that out OF every seven new moons SIX
we're attended with change of weather; out OF
every six full moons, five were attended with
change and out of every three quarter IN IONS
two we're attended with change.
Others have made similar observations, and
have arrived at similar conclusions DO we
discover any principle here? Or how shall
these remarkable cnincdrncrs be accon'lc !
for! Let us see. From the time ornrw moon
till the time of new moon again, is just about
one month. During that time it goes through
its tour changes. This makes its changes oc
cur at about il weeks interval. Now, allow.
ing three days before and three days alter each
change, to be influenced by that change. and it
will leave but one day Of the week independ-
ent.
Need we wonder. then, that out Of seven new
moons, six were attended with rain "A much
greater wonder to me is, that sixty.nine out of
seventy were not thus attended
In reading the faithful observations of these
patient men, am sometimes reminded Of the
anecdotes travellers tell Of the North American