Camden gazette. (Camden, S.C.) 1816-1818, March 27, 1817, Image 2
RE VIE IV.
Htsctir chrs obont .HimoitftheT t-cal PhenomeTiQ* -
liy Thomas Furster, F. L. S.
Many ut the ivost common appearan
ces and events of nature have attracted
-but little ol the attemion ? an4 research of
scientific men. Phenomena which rarely
happen, and which afford only Jew oppor- .
trinities for abservation, are madtv+he sub
jects of much curious speculation, and
nulny ingenious hypothesis ; while opera
tions. which are contiifually going on
within our view, are apt to be overlooked
-.end neglected. Hence wc may account
for the little knowledge we yet possess On
a variety of subjects, connected with me
teorohgy. There is, perhaps, no branch
of physics, unless we except magnetism,
which has been cultivated with less zeal,
and the labors in which have been reward
ed with less success. This fact is not a
- hrttc remnrk.tbte, when it is considered, ^
that the changts in the medium in which
we live, must have an important influence
in the 'condition ol the body itself, and on
the animals and vegetables by which it is
supported. Yet, not withstartding the mul
titude ot observations which have bjen
made by all classes of men, and the deduc
tions, ttv the form of pmxetbs*. that have
been derived fioin them, it is certain, that "
the immediate, as well as the more remote
causes ot meteorological phenomena, are
still, in a great measure, unexplained.
1 his truth may be made to appear, by
glancing at what remains to be known of
one of the mpst common processes con
nected with meteorology, the rise of the
water into the atmosphere and its return to
tlie earth in the vai ions forms of dew, rain,
hail, and snow. It is not yet decided how
~thts liquid tiig nir ? whether
it be raised in vapour by the operation of
heat alone, and in that state, rise between
the particles of the air, without being sub
jected to their pressure, or by subsequent
combination with them / or whether it be
? by a sort of attraction or affinity,- between
the air and water, analogous to saline sol
lution, the atmosphere being regaided as a
solvent, and dissolving a quantit y of liquid",
proportional to its temperature, Ihotion,
and dryness. We are ignorant in what
form it exists after it gets into the atmos
phere ; whether it remain 1 water or va
pour, or is decomposed andTesolved it) its
constituent principles .* we are not well
instructed respecting the causes of its pre
cipitation ; of the constitution of filling
mist or vapour ;of the formation of rain,
hail and snow ; of the production and dis
appearance of clouds ; or the quality of
vapour actually contained in a given por
**on air at a determinate temperature.
Of other atmospherical phenomena our
knowledge is not more certain, and the na
ture and causes of meteors, the sources of
aerolites, the epidemical constitution of
the air at different times, and the influ
ence of electricity in preventing, promo
ting or modifying these events, are still
involved in profound obscurity* In ma
king these remarks, it is not intended to
deny that the researches of De Luc, Sans
sure,' Mutton, Uerthollet, Van Mons, Hum
ford, Leslie, Dalton; and of manv otheis,
have been of essential service. The ob
servations of these philosophers have un
folded a multitude of fact* which must I*
useful to succeeding meteorologists, and
may serve as the ground work, for a sys
tem of meteorological knowledge. At the
same time.it must be conceded that this
department of science is encumbered witji
many loose opinions, and sotae fanciful
and inadequate hypothesis, which rather
retard than assist the enquirer in his
investigations. A work prolesstdly de
voted to the subjects of meteorology, is
comparatively a r;>re sight. We shall,
therefore, endeavor rather to analire than
to review or critrcise it. presuming, that
after the reader has been informed of the
nature of its ? ontents, he w ill be able u>
judge without our fvssistance, whether ?
any thing has been added to his previous
stock of knowledge on atmospheric phen
omena.
1 he contents of this book are divided
into ten chapters. The first is devoted to
the illustration of Mr. Howaid's nomen
clature and theory of the clouds; a theory"
which was published some years since in
the London philosophical journals, hut
which has not, until lately, received the
attention its ingenuity and plausibility have
merited. "Clouds" says Mr, Forsier,
" are distinguished by seven different mo
difications, the peculiarities of which seems
to-be caused hy the agency of electticity ;
for example, three primary modifications,
the Cirrus, the Cumulus, and the Stratus ;
two which may be considered as interme
diate ,u their nature, the Cirrocumulus
find the Cirrostratus ; one which appear
to bt- a compound, ilu* Cumulostratus ; and
lastly, the Cnmulcrirrostritus or Nimbus,
a state winch immediately nreredes the 1
resolution of clouds into rain. "
I. ( irrus Del. N ubes cirrata tenuis
sirna qua*- undique crest at.
This.modificatton is frequently seen
fciif i thr lorm ?f vl,,,.
>.i. libit, , increasing h. number and ,iie : j
these fibrt* or pencils, being arranged, ei
ther parellel or diverging, sometimes tr.u -
verse, interlaced, piltform ?4>moul^ 1 u*i
sometimes change their forms rapidly ; at
others, they are seen for hours, and even
days, without much alteration. Of the u
se* and nature of this species of clouds,
Mr. For&ter remarks ;
44 The observations of Mr. Howard, as
well as those which 1 have made, have in
duced me to believe; that, under whatever
form the cirrus may appear, it must alt.
ways be regarded as a conuuclor ot the e
leciric fluid. lis very texture seems indi
cative of its particular office. The long
parallel anil elevated lines, are probably
tquaiizittg the electricity of masses of air,
very remote from each other ; the detach
ed comoid cirri equalizing their own elec
tricity with t hat of the surrounding air,
while oblique or depending tufts, appear
to be conducting from an upper to a low
er stratum. The cirrus too, is sometimes
interposed, and conducting between two
other clouds at some distance from each
other," ? "and it is probaple, that acinus
ceasing to conduct, ceases to be a cirrus,
and that it cither evapo a'ps or passt-s into
some of the the other modifications.."
2. Cumulus. Def. Nubes Cunmlata rU-n
5 ui'S u m crescens.
This species of clnnd appears at fi?st,
like a small irregular spot, and as it moves
along in the lower aimoHphtre. increases
in size, becomes more dense, preserves a
llat horizontal base, and assumes more or
less of a corneal figure. Tht^^forms oi
cumuli are various ; they ureVren imi
tative, and present to the eye ot the spec
tator aerial towers, rocks, and mountains
of ?ieat magnitude and grandeur. u He
fore rain, they increase very rapidly, And
descend lower in the atmosphere, and be
come Heecy and irregular in their appear
ance, with their yuriaces fud of protuber
ances." In fair whether, 4kthey form
soon after sunrise, arrive at their maxi-.
% ? I
mum in the middle of the day, and btcome
very convenient skreens to intercept the
evening."
In accounting for the lormation of the
cumulus, Mr. Forster supposes, that, by
the action of solar heat on the surface of
the earth, water is evaporated, the vapour
ascends, it presses on that portion of va
pour which has escaped precipitation, and
causes its rise higher, hy which it changes
its climate and is condensed into visible
vapour. As the sun dechnen, the cause
ceasing to act, the cumuli disappear.
3. Stratus. Def. Nubes strata aqua: mo
do expms;*, dcorsum crescens.
The stratus is the lowest of clouds ; its
under surface usually rests on the earth,
or on the water. 4lIt may properly be
calltd the cloi.d of night." It compre
hends fogs arid mists, which ascend in the
summer season, in sheets from vallies,
lakes and fields, and in the autumn and
winter continue throughout the day as
dense fogs. The formation- of the stra
Jusis .supposed to be owin^ to the dimin
ished temperature of evening, the nir de
positing a portion of its water, and the cu
muli of the day sinking info the stratus
of the night. "The stratus is found to
be electrified positively, and to be highly
changed."
To br con'trwcd.
Columbia, March 25.
Pursuant to the Proclamation of
his excellency the Governor, the
Legislature of thi^ state met in this
City yesterday. The Senate form
ed a quorum, read the journals of
the 19th of December last/ and
proceeded to business. The House
of Representatives also formed a
quorum, read the journals of the
1.9th December last, and appointed
Messrs. Huger, Wm. D. Martin
and Jeter, a committee to wait on
his excellency the Governor, and to
inform him that they had formed a
quorum, and were ready to receive
any communications his excellency
might have to make ? to whicbthis
excellency was pleased to return for
answer, that they should hear from
him in the course of the day ; and
soon after accordingly made to each
house the following commnnication,
viz.
To thr Senate and Uoitme of Representative**
Fbl low Citizens,
I regreat much, that it has, so
soon, become necessary to call you
from your domestie retreats, at a
time when your attention to agncul-"
tttral and civil pursuits is so interest"
ing and important ro the state and
to yourselves. I have no doubt,
however, that you will cheerfully
( submit to personal inconvenience,
if your attendance can be made
conducive to the public good.
Ac the last session of the I_c?^isla
ture, i6 a bill to alter the third section
of the tenth article of the Constitu
tion, of the state of South-Carolina,"
was passed agreeably to t!ie consti
tution, and ratified on the l 9th of
J3ec, liu 6. 'J here was also an act
entitled lCan act to provide a more
expiditious mode for disposing of
the cases on the dockets of the con
stitutional courts at Charleston and
Columbia," passed and ratified on
the same day viz. on the 19th of
December, 1 8 1 6 . This act mak
ing provision for tha sittings of the
constitutional court at Cluiiestort
and Columoia, a majority of the
judges of the courts of sessions and
common pleas, has adjudged to be
unconstitutional and that therefore
they have no power to hold that
court. 1
'1 his being the only court, here- ]
tofore provided by our constitution 1
or laws, before which motions for
new trial, or in arrest of judgment,
could be brought up from our courts j
of sessions or common pleas, we
are by this decision of the judges, I
deprived of a court indispuLsible in !
the steady administration of justice.
To restore this link in the system
of our jurisprudence, there is no :
power adequate but-thatof the le- j
gisiature. Jt is therefore that I have
thought proper to convene the I e- |
gislatuie, that there may be neither
delay nor denial of justices To j
this subject, which is of .great im
portance, your early - attention, is
invited, at this time. I
1 wiil further ask your indulgence*,*
in submitting, for your considera
tion, one other subject, which, if
neglected until the constitutional
mtreting^f-^rc LcgtfJatttte, will be
too late, for your interposition. At
your last session, an act was passed
to confirm the treaty between the ;
state of South- Carolina and the
Cherokee Indians, and providing
for the survey of the lands, ceded
tyy the Cherokees, to this state,
This acc require* that all the lands,
so ceded shall be surveyed and pla
te d_offjn|o^tractsjiot less than 100
nor more than 500 acres. I would
beg leave to submit whether the
law should not be so alcercred as
to require the commissioners to
survey into tracts; only such parts
of the ceded territory, as will be
fit for, cultivation, and which alone,
will indemnify the state lor the sur
vey. It is well known, that a very
great proportion of this accession,
consists of barren, rugged and al
most inaccessible mountains, which
will only attract the attention of the
Wandering herdsman or shepherd
The survey of these mountains,
will require , much time ancT cost"
much money to the state, which
will never be refunded from the sale
of them. If the whole territory be
laid out into tracts according to the
provision of the existing law, it is
probable the sums arising from the
sales will not reimburse the expendi
ture.
At the time when it was thought
q?pedient to convene the legisla
ture, it was believed that it would
be necessary to recommend an ap
propriation, authorising the comp*
trollcr to pay into the treasury of
the General government, our quota
of the direct tax which had been'
imposed by congress for the lutr
year, and which it was believed
would be again imposed for * this
year. The national legislature has
uilQSfever, not thought proper to
re-enact the law imposing the direct
tax.
Although our civil and religious
privileges, as a people, dem and [
our most devout acknowledgements
to the author or all good, rf t ? wf
should be iiuiTiwlcd bv his cha^ten
itig hand, which is in the uii
usual scarcity which pravails in most
parrs of our country. Thi* scar
city pioceeds not only from unpro
puious seasons of the last \car, but
from our greater attention to the
productions of %our country which
procures us wealth than to these
which are im^insicaliy valuable.- VV^
should prohr by our experience,
and devote ourselves more those
fJUisuitswhich will promote our pre
sent comforts and future weir are,
looking unto him, who is the author
of every good and perfect gift, for
Ins blesiiinfr. ? - ? ?
o
Ail which is most respectfully
submitted.
ANDREW PICKENS, Jun.
Mr. Pinckney j lute Negcciaticn .
Rv an arrival from Naples, the
following account of the tenor and
result of Mr. Pinckney's negocia
tion has been re c< ived. Mr. Pinck
ney made a peremptory demand
of the restitution of several oT the
vessels seized by Murat or a com
plete , indea^pification for them and
thejr cargoes. With regard to the
resr, he offered to wave all claim
on tiie part of his government, on
condition that the United Siates
should have an establishment in
some convenient port in the Nea*
poll can- territories. He* particular^
ized Messina as the most eligible,
and stated, that the required esta
blishment would comprise an hos
pital, a depot for naval stores, and
some telegraph stations. The Nea
politan Government, affecting not
to peiceive the drift of the demand
couched in these terms, thought it
was impossible to misapprehend it,
requested of*Mr. Pinckney to in
form whether the establishment
was to be considered as an avow
ed government concern, or whe
ther it was to be on the footing
the establishments of private in
dividuals. Mr. Pinckney, with~
out hesitation, intimated, that it
must be regarded as a goveinment
establishment. T he Neapolitan
government, on receiving this * ex
planation, rejected the demand in
toto ; intimating, at the same time,
there would be no objection to
the agents of the United States
government keeping naval stores
in the Neapolitan dominions, on the
footing of the ordinary mercantile
depots. The neogciations, uitlt
regard to the confiscated vessels
terminated in a manner equally un*
satisfactory to Mr. Pinckney.
FOREIGN NEWS*
The great press of domestic
matter excludes much foreign
^hicji has been lately received,
none of it, hdwevd*, is of much
consequence. "The disturbances
in England had subsided. Parlia
ment was called, to begin sitting
on the 29th of January. Sixteen
or eighteen regiments were to be
? disbanded, and all supernumerary
officers to be discharged. France
had negotiated a loan with Eng
land to fill the budget. for 1817.
Spain is. making great exertions to
fit out marine* armaments to sail
with troops ; for South-America
Forty transports with . 2500 men
sailed from Cadiz on the 4th, Janu-r
ary for Vera 8000 were rca~
dy to .sail from St Marie for Hue
nos Ayres. Along with these will
be sent twelve commissioners, six
destined for Mexico, and a like nurn*
ber for Buenos, to^ propose te/ms
of reconciliation .between Spain and
I the Patriots. The latest accounts
from the Patriots do not present
very cheering details. The Royal
ists have gained Some advantages,
owing it appears, to the great wane