New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-25

perfect than any that man can construct ana us In
| dIcations are not TO be mistaken 49,
Where do the vapors which form tins cioudfing,
ard which here condensed ana poured 90 WI inSo
| the sea as rain come from They come rom tue
trade wind regons under the clond-rlng they rise
Up as they rise up. they expand ana as lhey e1-
pana. they grow cool moreover IL 4ulles no Isr-
cural instrument Of hum an oeFlce 70 Sdtsiy Us tha
lie airxhch brings the yapOr for these CLOUDS can
not take Il up and let II down 1t the same iempera-
ture Precipitation and evaporation are the con-
verse Of each other ano lhe same al cinhOt pre-
clDitafe and evapOrete, take up ana lei down wafer
II one and the same time As the temperature Of
The air 5 raised. It's capacity for receiving and re-
tanning water IN the state Of vapar is increased
the teuUeraiuYe Of tie air Is iessened. It's capacity
for retslning that moisture diminished These are
rfveical Laws and therefore when see water
drppIg down from the atmosphere, We need no
HsiTumeTt 20 tel Us hat TIE elasticity OF the Yap0r
80 condensed and falling IN drops. Is less than was
It's elasticity when taken up from the surface
OF the ocean as water and went up into the clouds
Is vapor.
Hence we infer that when the vapors Of sea water
are condensed. the heat which was necessary to ss
tam them IN the vapOr state and which was borro "
od from the ocean, is parted with and that there
fore they were subjected in the act Of condensation
20 lower temperature than they were IN the act OF
evaporation. THIS j. what j. going on ceaseless
precipitation, under this cloudung. Evaporation
undef suspended almost entirely the year round
# IS formed BY the meeting Of the y. r. and :. H.
trade winds. Tie vapor and the air which they
BRING with them, here ascend-as they ascend they
Hence. first a cloud andthe precipitation We know
that the trade winds encrce the earth, and by the
RAINY seasons Of the torld zone we can trace this
cioud-ring Ike a girdlC about Il.
IN view Of these facts and Of these laws, II Is use
less 10 consult the thermometer, merely 70 learn
whether The atmosphere under this cloud-rms be
amer or cooler than that on either SIDE OF IT, Our
knowledge Of the laws OF nature tells us that II i
cooler.
In Ike manner nature has placed thermometer
Oh the surface Of the land and of the water, when
So. mo nj
earih's crust whether II be land or water, y hghcr
than the mean temperature of the superintendent
ar ard so far as The researches connected with
these charts have gone. ana bear upon the suoect,
they indicate that II X So
Where the atmosphere meets the land and water,
there IS The greatest amount OF heat on the earth>
surface ~ THIS place Of meeting. the thermometer
Ia every latitude attans rs maximum. IL we uc-
scend Below THIS place into tho ocean. or rise above
j; INTO tie ar the mercury IL the thermometer Is o.
served TO fail.
tie earth were the clouds which overhans this
bcl, luminous. and could they be seen by an OBJ
server from one OF the planets, they w0ul1 pIesehl
90 him an appearance not unhke me rlngs OF oalulh
do 10 us Such an observer would remark tha' TINS
cloud. rlng Of the earth has motion contrary 70
.ha on Us axis Of our planet Iseli-ihat Whue ile
earth VS. revolving rapidly from West 10 East nc
would observe The cloud ing to go slowly, but only
relatively. from East 10 West. As the winds which
fTng the cloud vapOr 10 this region OF Gains rise
M with II. the eavih = slipping rom under II ana
thus the cloudrIng though really moving from West
10 East with the earth goes relatively slower IMAM
the earth, and would therefore appear TO require
longer time 10 complete tie revolution
But unlike the rings OF Saturn through the teIeS,
cope the utter surface Of the upper SIDE 10 us on
this cloudrng, would appear exceedingly Jag5e"
rough and uneven.
Tie rays Of the Sun playing upon this peak, and
then upon that. of the upper cloud surface lneltS
away one set Of elevations. and creates another set
Of cepressions Tire whole stratum Is II may be
imagined IN he most turgld state 1t IS III continued
All neal !
liberated fIom below IN the process OF condeAsa-
ton. the currents Of warm AR ascending from lhe
earth, and OF cool descending nom the sky all we
may well conceive, tend TO keep the upper cloui
surface IN perpetual state OF agitation, uphedVal
and depression.
Imagine IN such "A cloud stratum an electrical
discharge TO take place, the report beng caught up
by The cloud ridges above, Is passed IRON peak 10
peak. and repeated from valley TO valley, until the
last echo dies away n the mutierngs of the distant
thunder. How often do we hear the voice OF the
loud thunder rlmbhng and rolling away above the
cloud surface, like the echo of artillery discharged
among The hills.
Hence we perceive or infer that that the CLOUDS IN
ercept the progress of sound AS well AS OF lght ana
heat through the atmosphere, and that TINS upper
surface Is often like Alpine regions:
1t by trains of reasoning like this that We are
continually reminded of the interest which attaches
To the observations which the mariner Is called on
10 make. There IS no expression uttered by nature
which Is unworthy.of our most attentive consldera-
ton and mariners, 10y registering IN thelr logs lhe
Kind of lightning, whether sheet, torked or Streaked
and the KIND of thunder, whether rolling, muttermg
or sharp may be furnishing facts which will throw
/ much light on the features and character OF the
clouds IN different ATTITUDES and seasons.
As an illustration OF the value and interest attached
10 ohserV ationS upon little things SO called, eN-
tract from the Abstract Log of very close observer
WHO'S cooperating with me IN the collection OF ma.
teuals for these charts " In all my observations,
writes his excellent and ndeiatigable seaman IN
has Abstract Log kept for this Office. " IN all my OBJ
seryalons on the unts of tropical flowers, have
found that yellow prCcOmlnateS.'
No physical fact Is too bald Tor observation phys
zeal facts are the language of nature, and every ex-
preston uttered by her worthy of our most atten-
ice consideration. And the remark by tins obSerV-
ant sailor about the performance OF yellow IN trop-
zeal flowers. would be. "A trulsm, regarded with
high degree Of interest both by the Botanisi and
Chemist Yours, A NJ