many yards from our boat) that looked as if they would
suck anything down. Sometimes among all this were great smooth parts
of the sea, still in a whirling trouble, which were surrounded by the
mad currents. We seemed entirely powerless among all these."

In the beginning of this year (1862) the Duke of Manchester, in
writing to the Rev. W. Airy, had said, "I wish your brother, the
Astronomer Royal, could be induced to have investigations made as to
whether the aspects of the Planets have any effect on the weather."
This enquiry produced the following reply:

A subject like that of the occult influences of the planets (using the
word occult in no bad sense but simply as meaning not _thoroughly_
traced) can be approached in two ways--either by the a priori
probability of the existence of such influences, or by the a
posteriori evidence of their effects. If the two can be combined, the
subject may be considered as claiming the dignity of a science. Even
if the effects alone are certain, it may be considered that we have a
science of inferior degree, wanting however that definiteness of law
and that general plausibility which can only be given when true
causes, in accordance with antecedent experience in other cases, can
be suggested.

Now in regard to the a priori probability of the existence of
planetary influences, I am far from saying that such a thing is
impossible. The discoveries of modern philosophy have all tended to
shew that there may be many things about us, unknown even to the
scientific world, but which well-followed accidents reveal with the
most positive certainty. It is known that every beam of light is
accompanied by a beam of chemical agency, totally undiscoverable to
the senses of light or warmth, but admitting of separation from the
luminous and warm rays; and producing photogenic effects. We know
that there are disturbances of magnetism going on about us, affecting
whole continents at a time, unknown to men in general, but traceable
with facility and certainty, and which doubtless affect even our
brains and nerves (which are indisputably subject to the influence of
magnetism).

Now in the face of these things I will not undertake to say that there
is any impossibility, or even any want of plausibility in the
supposition that bodies external to the earth may affect us. It may
well be cited in its favour that it is certain that the sun affects
our magnetism (it is doubtful whether it does so _im_m