Air
in motion, the Effects of it first discover themselves above, and
actually drive such Clouds before them. This was long ago observed by
_Pliny_. When Clouds, says he, float about in a serene Sky, from
whatever Quarter they come, you may expect Winds. If they are collected
together in one Place, they will be dispersed by the approach of the
Sun. If these Clouds come from the North East, they denote Winds; if
from the South great Rains. But let them come from what Quarter they
will, if you see them driving thus about Sunset, they are sure signs of
an approaching Tempest.

IF the Clouds look dusky, or of a tarnish silver Colour, and move very
slowly, it is a Sign of Hail. But to speak more plainly, those very
Clouds are laden with Hail, which if there be a Mixture of Blue in the
Clouds will be small, but if very yellow, large. Small scattering
Clouds that fly very high, especially, from the South West, denote
Whirlwinds. The shooting of fallen Stars through them, is a Sign of
Thunder. We meet with many Observations of this sort in our old Writers
on Husbandry, and we have abundance of Proverbs relating to this
Subject which are worth observing, and the rather, because most of them
are not peculiar to our Language only, but common to us with many of
our Neighbours. It is the Remark of Lord _Bacon_, and a very judicious
Remark too, that Proverbs are the Philosophy of the common People, that
is to say, they are trite Remarks founded in Truth, and fitted for
Memory. I must confess that there are some of them that seem either
false, or of no great Consequence, but then I am apt to suspect, that
by various Accidents we have lost their true Meaning, or else, that in
length of Time, they have been altered and corrupted, till they have
little or no meaning at all.

I cannot help taking Notice in Regard to the Rule before us, that
Captain _Dampier_ tells us in the _East-Indies_, they have always
Notice of a Tuffoon by the Skies being first clear and calm, and then a
small white Cloud hanging precisely in the Point from whence the Storm
comes, where he observes that it remains sometimes twelve Hours or
more, and adds, that as soon as it begins to move, the Wind presently
follows it. When Sir _John Bury_, who died an _English_ Admiral, had
the Command of a small Frigate in the _West-Indies_, he escaped a
Hurricane in the _Leward_ Islands by taking the Advice of a poor Negro,
who shewed him a small white Cloud at a Distance, and