pusses and other Sea
Fish, which delight in sporting and playing upon the Waves of the
Sea, and by their playing give the Mariners the first Notice of an
approaching Storm.

"WHEN these nitrous swarms are risen towards the Surface of the Sea
in a dark Night, they cause such a shining light upon the Waves, as
if the Sea was on fire. And being delivered from the brackish
Water, and received into the open Air, those fiery and shining
Meteors which fix upon the Masts and Sides of the Ships, and are
only nitrous particles condensed by the circumambient Cold, and
like that which the Chymists call Phosphorus, or artificial
Glow-worm, shine and cast a Light but have no Heat: This gives the
Mariners the second Notice that the Storm is rising, for upon the
first breaking out of the Wind, the Sea begins to be rough, and the
Waves swell and rise, when at the same time the Air is calm and
clear.

"THIS boiling Fermentation of the Sea causes the Vapours to rise,
which by the Intenseness of the circumambient Cold are condensed
into thick Clouds, and fall down in Storms of Wind and Rain, first
upon the Sea, from whence they rose, and then the attractive Power
of the Mountain-cold, by a secret Magnetism between Vapour and
Cold, attracts the waterish Vapours, intermixt with nitrous
Particles, to the high Tops of Mountains and Hills, where they hang
hovering in thick Fogs and waterish Mists, until the atmospherical
Heat rarefies the nitrous Part of the Fog (which is always
uppermost, and appears white and translucent) into brisk Gales of
Wind, and the Intenseness of atmospherical Cold having attracted
the Vapours into the colder Regions of the Air, where being
condensed into Clouds, the Wind breaks, dissipates, and drives them
before it, till they fall down in Rain, and water the Surface of
the Earth. And this seems to be the Reason why, in _Egypt_, and
those level Countries where they have no Mountains, they have
little Wind and less Rain."

XVIII.

CLOUDS. _In Summer or Harvest, when the Wind has been South two or
three Days, and it grows very hot, and you see Clouds rise with
great white Tops like Towers, as if one were upon the Top of
another, and joined together with black on the nether Side_,
there will be Thunder and Rain suddenly.

WE may very easily account for th