seen from a mountain height in early morning, it spreads itself over the low-lying meadow lands, concealing the village, enveloping all but the lofty tree-tops and the spire of the village church in one lake of snowy mist, until gradually as the sun gains power it begins to rise like a curtain, revealing the features of the landscape, and dissolves into invisible vapour, again to reappear in some higher stratum, or possibly to descend in a misty shower.

Lieutenant Maury says, "In the harbour of Callao, in Peru, which is filled with the cool waters of Humbolden current, I have seen the bay covered with a fog only a few inches high. I have seen fogs there so dense, and with outlines so sharp, as to conceal from view the rowboats approaching the ship's side. These fogs, especially early in the morning, will conceal from view not only the boat, but the persons of the crew, up to the neck, so as to leave nothing visible but two rows of trunkless heads nodding at the oars, apparently skimming through the air and dancing on the fog in a manner both magical and fantastic. At other times the cloud stratum is thicker and higher. Then may be seen three masts. coming into port, with top gallant sails and royals set, but no ship: these sails, nicely trimmed and swelling to the breeze in the sky, skim along over the clouds, and seem like things in a fairy scene."

The cirro cumulus is a modification of the cirrus, by which losing its filmy and fibrous appearance in larger masses of white cloud, and sometimes separated (a very frequent form of it) into numerous nubecules, or small white clouds of the cumulus shape, they disperse themselves over the sky on fine summer evenings. This

form of cloud is frequently seen in summer in the intervals between showers. The varying forms and changes of this cloud are peculiarly beautiful. It is usually the forerunner of fine weather, but not always; for when joined with the cumulo stratus it is a certain indication of coming storm.

The cumulo stratus is what is popularly termed “a mackerel sky," because one of its commonest forms resembles the markings of the fish referred to, or is strictly like a shoal of these fish. There is also another form of it, resembling the wave-marks on the sand. It is always situated in a lofty region, and presents a beautiful and striking appearance to the eye, as it is scattered broadcast over the blue ground on which it rests: and when it makes its appearance the weather is generally clear and fine; but, like many other objects attractive to the sight, it is the sure forerunner of wind and unsettled weather, and no sailor likes to see "a mackerel sky."

In the last of the great divisions of clouds are the cirro cumulus and the nimbus, both compound clouds, the former of united cumuli, and swelled into immense proportions, and has the appearance of great solidity. It sometimes assumes the form of a fungus, with a thick stem: it is an awful-looking cloud, of stupendous proportions, with but little motion, and looks mischievous,as though if it were to discharge its contents it would do untold damage. But Mr. Howard, whose attention to such objects and experience of them is greater than most people, declares it not to be a rain-discharging cloud. Its shape is sometimes so strange as to mock the wildest imagination of a cloud. It is most frequently

seen in countries subject to sudden change and variable climate, such as Ireland.

The nimbus is the true electrical storm-cloud that brings all the electricity of the heavens to bear upon the earth. It is invariably the source of a thunderstorm, and is attended with heavy rain and wind, hail, thunder, and lightning: the most formidable of all the clouds in the heavens. Its appearance is easily recognised by its blackness,—sometimes contrasted finely by a rainbow in the midst of it. It frequently advances along the surface of the earth like a tall giant, dealing destruction wherever it comes. At other times it floats within a short distance from the earth, exchanging shots with its positive electricity with the negative on the terrestrial surface. As its advance and course can generally be perceived, it is sometimes quite possible to avoid it, either on land or sea; but cities and towns that have to encounter it do not desire to see its awful form.

I may here refer, in concluding the description of this cloud, to a curious and somewhat startling effect produced by it when mixed with the ordinary rain cloud, or cumulo stratus, which I have seen myself,-living, as I have done for many years, in mountain districts, where such phenomena occur. When the clouds are in a transition state from vapour to rain, and are only partially dissolved, while a fresh wind is blowing, these white masses of distinct floating vapour, not yet dissolved, are seen relieved against the darker part of the rain-cloud, and are swept by on the wind through the midst of it, maintaining for a time a definite shape and form, but gradually dissolving. These sometimes appear quite suddenly crossing the road, like tall ghostly forms arrayed in white, from ten

to twenty or thirty feet in height. They disappear after assuming sometimes the most grotesque shapes, in which it is not difficult for a lively imagination to see strange weird faces and long floating robes and wild extended arms, as pourtrayed in the accompanying plate, and as on the occasion depicted, appearing so suddenly as to

frighten the horse. To these transition forms of cloud may be fairly given the name of ghost clouds. They are generally a sign of stormy and wet weather, whether, thus seen, or more slowly advancing (as they sometimes do) in a white troop, showing themselves just above the brow of the distant mountain, when wet weather may certainly be expected.

CHAPTER III.

MIRACULOUS CLOUDS.

W

E now come to the consideration of those clouds to which the term miraculous may be applied,

as referring to the special part they have performed in the various communications of the Almighty with His people Israel, and as related in the history of the Old and New Testaments. In applying the term miraculous to these clouds, it is not absolutely necessary to suppose that there was anything different then in their constitution, or the material of which they were composed, from the ordinary clouds of our terrestrial atmosphere; but that their varying appearances and movements were such as to separate them altogether from clouds formed by the ordinary laws of nature with which we are acquainted, and rendering it impossible to explain their agency in the history of Israel by any natural causes (as has been attempted) without doing violence to the entire narrative and the plain meaning of language. The inspired narrative plainly regards, and would have us regard, all the circumstances relating to these clouds as supernatural; and any effort by socalled Rationalists to explain it otherwise has proved an utter failure.