By evaporation and condensation, the clouds are fications. Electricity and heat are the chief agents raised from the earth to their stations in the atmo- in these processes. spherick regions, and formed into their several modi- Clouds are distinguished into seven kinds of CLOUDS. modifications, having different densities, different| These are the characteristicks. There are three pridegrees or kinds of electricity, and different forms. mary modifications, the cirrus, cumulus and stratus ; VOL. III.-59 two considered intermediate, cirrocumulus and cirrostratus; one which is compound, the cumulostratus; and the nimbus, which immediately precedes the fall of rain, also a compound cloud. Small clouds of this sort are sometimes seen in the intervals of showers, moving rapidly about the heavens in a very compact shape, and are thence familiarly called water-wagons, though they are not rainy clouds. The cirrus is the cloud which is supposed to have the least density, and generally is in the higher at- The stratus is always near the earth, holding the mosphere. It has a greater variety of form, extent lowest station among the clouds, and usually restand direction than any other; sometimes being ing on the earth. It appears about sunset, respread out over the sky like a white thin veil of maining through the night and disappears in the gauze, sometimes drawn out in long fibres or morning. Probably when it attains much elevation threads, which diverging to various points in all it becomes transformed to a cumulus. Fogs and directions, have some resemblance to the tail of a mists are for the most part placed in this class, horse, and are so called; sometimes they stretch though some are cirrostrati. Nor are all strati out in long straight lines. They are also very fogs. But they sometimes rise a small distance changing in their forms, and I have observed a very from the earth, forming the black, irregular and difrapid change of a comoid cirrus, which appeared fuse looking cloud which is seen nearest to the low in the atmosphere, into a cirrostratus. earth. But in a short time they are changed to cumulus, or perhaps in a peculiar atmosphere may go to form or feed a nimbus. The stratus is found to be electrified positively, and in general to be highly charged. The definition of the cirrocumulus is the more dense small clouds of rotund form, and collected as in a flock. From these rapid changes it has been called the Proteus of the skies. It, however, is seen sometimes for several days unchanged. After a continuance of clear weather, it is frequently the first cloud seen. It is supposed that the cirrus under every form, is a conductor of electricity. So says Mr. Forster. Its very texture, he says, is indicative of its office. The long parallel and elevated lines After the cirrus has ceased to conduct, it frehe supposes to be equalizing the electricity of por- quently is changed into cirrocumulus. It loses the tions of air remote from each other; and the de- cirriform structure, descends in the atmosphere, and tached comoid cirri, equalizing their own with that is formed into a collected body of rotund small clouds of the air surrounding them. The cirrus is also in- closely arranged in horizontal order. A very pictuterposed between two other clouds, doing the same resque and beautiful appearance. Sometimes this office to them. And it is the opinion of the same cloud is transformed to cirrus; sometimes evaporates, writer, founded on long observation, that a cirrus and at others passes into the compound modifications. ceasing so to act, ceases to be a cirrus, and is either It is not always uniform, differing in the size and evaporated or passed into other modifications.-distance of its nubecula. It is frequent in summer, When the weather is dry, the cirrus is fibrous, when in the intervals of showers, and before an increase damp, compact, and in a more wet atmosphere, its edges lose their distinctness, and it spreads to more gradual terminations, appearing charged with water. These are frequently soon followed by rain. The cumulus is a collection of vapour into a hemispherical shape having a flat base and summit, variously convex. It is commonly a dense cloud, formed in the lower atmosphere, and moving along in the current of wind which is next to the earth. The cumuli are of different forms and dimensions, according to the peculiarities in the atmosphere producing them. Sometimes they are very regular hemispherical masses, at others they appear like a range of mountains, resembling much the cumulostratus. Before rain, they increase rapidly, descend lower in the atmosphere, and become fleecy and irregular in their appearance, their surfaces breaking up at the same time, and presenting large protuberances. In fair weather they form soon after sunrise, obtain their greatest size in the middle of the day, and subside toward evening. The variation of its figure according to different states of weather, favours the supposition that electricity may determine its form. The sun's rays warming the surface of the earth, and by radiation the air above it, converts water on the surface to vapour, which rises through the rarefied region, till arriving at that point where the air is sufficiently cool and dense to suspend it and condense it, it is formed into a cloudy and visible body. This is the origin of the cumulus, and with some variations in process, is probably the forming principle of all primary clouds. of temperature, of which its prevalence is considered a prognostick: and it is, therefore, supposed that the cloud may receive its modification from a warm upper current which is afterwards propagated in the inferiour region of atmosphere. These are the clouds mentioned by the farmer's boy "Far yet above these wafted clouds, are seen, When this appears in small shapes, dense and compact, and closely stowed together, accompanied with the cumulostratus, it is considered a sure indication of an approaching storm, which being highly charged with electricity, it tends to promote when it is thus brought into conjunction or vicinity with a rainy cloud. The figure of the cirrostratus is very various ; sometimes it is in dense longitudinal streaks, sometimes mottled like the back of a mackerel, and called mackerel clouds, sometimes like the close fibres of a compact body, as of muscles or of smooth wood, sometimes spread over the sky like a sheet, resembling the spread cirrus but more dense. This cloud is remarkable for exhibiting a great variety of beautiful colours. This happens generally when the sun is near the horizon. They have been always considered precursors of rain and stormy weather. Virgil says, the yellow in the morning indicates storm, the blue denotes rain, the red, east wind, and the last mixed with the mottled cloud, wind and showers. It is in the thin, extended sheets of this cloud, before its greater condensation, that the halo is painted. The cumulostratus, is defined a dense irregular cloud, overhanging on all sides a plane base. It is formed usually from a cumulus which increases upwards, and losing its hemispherical figure is broken into uneven folds, and combining with other clouds produces the present modification. They frequently remain a long time, some of them intersected with cirri or cirrostrati, and form very picturesque skies; at other times are rapidly combined into nimbus. This cloud varies much in appearance and form, sometimes running in long ranges like a chain of mountains; some of the single clouds look like a disjointed, over-hanging cliff. In this modification the cloud is nearly ripened for a storm. The nimbus is the last stage of vaporization and is defined a cloud or collection of clouds pouring rain. An observer of the clouds may be induced by such increase of them as to obscure the sky to expect rain, and he will be frequently deceived in this expectation. The reason is, that no cloud effuses rain, till it has passed into this modification, which is distinct, and may be easily known, though by reason of its irregularity not easily described. It appears usually in huge, heavy, dark, and moist looking masses. I believe this cloud only has the power of refraction, in such degree as to paint the rainbow, though the cumulostratus and cirrostratus show very beautiful and varied colours. This power of refraction is another distinguished feature of the clouds, according to which, the halo, or luminous ring, the corona or luminous disk, and the parhelia or images of the sun and moon are produced, and the iris or rainbow. Bodies of clouds sometimes are seen which cannot be referred to any of the modifications. But they generally do not long remain indeterminate. There is, however, a cloud frequently covering the sky in chilly unwholesome weather which appears to partake of the attributes of each of the two intermediate modifications; of a thin texture like cirrostratus, but rounded in form like cirrocumulus. It is probably the former. Before storms, it is the case that clouds frequently put off their individuality and run together in a general mass, before they are formed into nimbus.-(See a nomenclature of clouds, p. 342, Fam. Mag.) MAHOGANY. MAHOGANY TREE. ble timber grows in the most inaccessible stations, it must be evident that a great portion of the price of this timber must be made up of the cost of the labour required for transporting it from its native forests to the place of its embarkation. The season for cutting the mahogany usually commences about the month of August. The gangs of labourers employed in this work consist of from twenty to fifty each, but few exceed the latter number. They are composed of slaves and free persons, without any comparative distinction of rank, and it very frequently occurs that the conductor of such work, here styled the captain, is a slave. Each gang has also one person belonging to it termed the huntsman. He is generally selected from the most intelligent of his fellows, and his chief occupation is to search the woods, or, as it is called, the bush, to find labour for the whole. Accordingly about the beginning of August, the huntsman is despatched on his important mission. He cuts his way through the thickest of the woods to some elevated situation, and climbs the tallest tree he finds, from which he mi The common mahogany (called by botanists swie-nutely surveys the surrounding country. At this seatenia mahagoni) is one of the most majestick trees of son the leaves of the mahogany tree are invariably of the whole world. There are trees of greater height a yellow-reddish hue, and an eye accustomed to this than the mahogany; but in Cuba and Honduras this tree, during a growth of two centuries, expands to such a gigantick trunk, throws out such massive arms, and spreads the shade of its shining green leaves over such a vast surface, that even the proudest oaks of our forests appear insignificant in comparison with it. A single log, such as is brought to this country from Honduras, not unfrequently weighs six or seven tuns. When we consider the enormous size of a trunk of mahogany, and further learn that the most valua kind of exercise, can, at a great distance, discern the places where the wood is most abundant. He now descends, and to such places his steps are directed; and, without compass, or other guide than what observation has imprinted on his recollection, he never fails to reach the exact point at which he aims. On some occasions no ordinary stratagem is necessary to be resorted to, by the huntsman, to prevent others from availing themselves of the advantage of his discoveries: for, if his steps be traced by those who may be engaged in the same pursuit, which is a very common thing, all his ingenuity | cording to their length; and it often occurs, that must be exerted to beguile them from the true scent. while some are but long enough for one log, others, In this, however, he is not always successful, being on the contrary, will admit of four or five being cut followed by those who are entirely aware of all the from the same trunk or stem. The chief guide for arts he may use, and whose eyes are so quick dividing the trees into logs is the necessity for that the lightest turn of a leaf, or the faintest impres-equalizing the loads the cattle have to draw. Consion of the foot, is unerringly perceived. The sequently, as the tree increases in thickness, the logs treasure being, however, reached by one party or are reduced in length. This, however, does not alanother, the next operation is the felling of a suf- together obviate the irregularity of the loads, and a ficient number of the trees to employ the gang during supply of oxen are constantly kept in readiness to the season. The mahogany tree is commonly cut add to the usual number, according to the weight of about ten or twelve feet from the ground, a stage be- the log. This becomes unavoidable, from the very ing erected for the axe-man employed in levelling great difference of size of the mahogany trees, the it. The trunk of the tree, from the dimensions of logs taken from one tree being about three hundred the wood it furnishes, is deemed the most valuable; cubick feet, while those from the next may be as but, for ornamental purposes, the limbs, or branches, many thousand. The largest log ever cut in Honare generally preferred. duras was of the following dimensions :-Length, seventeen feet; breadth, fifty-seven inches; depth, sixty-four inches; measuring five thousand one hundred and sixty-eight superficial feet, or fifteen tuns weight. A sufficient number of trees being felled to occupy the gang during the season, they commence cutting the roads upon which they are to be transported. This may be fairly estimated at two thirds of the labour and expense of mahogany cutting.Each mahogany work forms in itself a small village on the bank of a river, the choice of situation being always regulated by the proximity of such river to the mahogany intended as the object of future op erations. The sawing being now completed, the logs are reduced, by means of the axe, from the round or natural form, into the square. The month of March is now reached, when all the preparation before described, is, or ought to be, completed; when the dry season or time of drawing down the logs from the place of their growth, commences. This process can only be carried on in the months of April and May; the ground, during all the rest of the year, being too soft to admit of a heavily laden truck to pass over it without sinking. It is now necessary that not a moment should be lost in drawing out the wood to the river. After completing the establishment of a sufficient number of huts for the accommodation of the workmen, a main road is opened from the settlement, in a direction as near as possible to the centre of the body of trees so felled, into which branch-roads are to run being yet a mass of dense forest, both of high trees and underwood. The labourers commence by clearing away the underwood with cutlasses. This A gang of forty men is generally capable of worklabour is usually performed by task-work, of one ing six trucks. Each truck requires seven pair of hundred yards, each man, per day. The under- oxen and two drivers; sixteen to cut food for the wood being removed, the larger trees are then cut cattle, and twelve to load or put the logs on the cardown by the axe, as even with the ground as possi- riages. From the intense heat of the sun, the cattle, ble, the task being also at this work one hundred especially, would be unable to work during its influyards per day to each labourer. The hard woods ence; and, consequently, the loading and carriage growing here, on failure of the axe, are removed by of the timber is performed in the night. The logs the application of fire. The trunks of these trees, are placed upon the trucks by means of a temporary although many of them are valuable, such as bullet-platform laid from the edge of the track to a sufficient tree, ironwood, redwood, and sapodilla, are thrown distance upon the ground, so as to make an inclined away as useless, unless they happen to be adjacent to some creek or small river, which may intersect the road. In that case they are applied to the construction of bridges, which are frequently of considerable size, and require great labour to make them of sufficient strength to bear such immense loads as are brought over them. plane, upon which the log is gradually pushed up by bodily labour, without any further mechanical aid. The operations of loading and carrying are thus principally performed during the hours of darkness. The torches employed are pieces of wood split from the trunk of the pitch-pine. The river-side is generally reached by the wearied drivers and cattle before the sun is at its highest power; and the logs, marked with the owner's initials, are thrown into the river. If the mahogany trees are much dispersed or scattered, the labour and extent of road-cutting, is, of course, greatly increased. It not unfrequently occurs that miles of road and many bridges are made About the end of May the periodical rains again to a single tree, that may ultimately yield but one commence; the torrents of water discharged from log. When roads are cleared of brush-wood, they the clouds are so great as to render the roads imstill require the labour of hoes, pick-axes, and passable in the course of a few hours, when all sledge-hammers to level down the hillocks, to break the rocks, and to cut such of the remaining stumps as might impede the wheels that are hereafter to pass over them. trucking ceases. About the middle of June the rivers are swollen to an immense height. The logs then float down a distance of two hundred miles, being followed by the gang in pitpans (a kind of flatThe roads being now in a state of readiness, which bottomed canoe), to disengage them from the branches may generally be effected by the month of Decem- of the overhanging trees, until they are stopped by a ber, the cross-cutting, as it is technically called, boom placed in some situation convenient to the commences. This is merely dividing crosswise, by mouth of the river. Each gang then separates its means of saws, each mahogany tree into logs, ac-own cutting, by the marks on the ends of the logs, and forms them into large rafts; in which state they åre brought down to the wharves of the proprietors, where they are taken out of the water, and undergo a second process of the axe, to make the surface smooth. The ends, which frequently get split and rent by being dashed against rocks in the river by the force of the current, are also sawed off. They are now ready for shipping. The ships clearing out from Belize, the principal port of Honduras, with their valuable freight of mahogany, either go direct to England, or take their cargo to some port in the West Indies or America. TERRIBLE ACHIEVEMENT. He cut a portion of the cord in the form of two large stirrups, with a loop at each end. The upper loops he fastened upon two of the projecting nails above his head, and placed his foot in the others. Then digging the fingers of one hand into the interstices of the sheets of copper, he raised up one of his stirrups with the other hand so as to make it catch a nail higher up. The same operation he performed on behalf of the other leg, and so on alternately. And thus he climbed, nail by nail, step by step, and stirrup by stirrup, till his starting post was undistinguishable from the golden surface, and the spire had dwindled, and dwindled, and dwindled in his embrace, till he could clasp it all around. So far, so well. But he now reached the ball-a The church of St. Peter and St. Paul is remarka-globe of between nine and ten feet in circumference. ble for its spire, the loftiest of St. Petersburgh. The angel, the object of the visit, was above this ball, and concealed from his view, by its smooth, round and glittering expanse. Only fancy the wretch at that moment, turning up his grave eyes, and graver beard, to an obstacle that seemed to defy the daring and ingenuity of man. But Melouchkine was not dismayed. He was prepared for the difficulty; and the means by which he essayed to surmount it exhibited the same prodigious simplicity as the rest of the fcat. and is probably represented in the engraving as fading away almost into a point in the sky, is, in reality, terminated by a globe of considerable dimensions, on which an angel stands, supporting a large cross. Suspending himself in his stirrups, he girded the This angel, less respected by the weather than per-needle with a cord, the ends of which he fastened haps his holy character deserved, fell into disrepair; around his waist; and, so supported, he leaned gradand some suspicions were entertained that he design- ually back, till the soles of his feet were planted ed revisiting, uninvoked, the surface of the earth.The affair caused some uneasiness, and the government at length became seriously perplexed. To raise a scaffolding to such a height, would cost more money than all the angels out of heaven were worth —and in meditating fruitlessly on these circumstances, without being able to resolve how to act, a considerable time was suffered to elapse. Among the crowd of gazers below who daily turned their eyes and their thoughts toward the angel, was a mijik called Telouchkine. This man was a roofer of houses (a slater as he would be called in countries where slates were used,) and his speculations by degrees assumed a more practical character than the idle wonders and conjectures of the rest of the crowd. The spire was entirely covered with sheets of gilded copper, and presented a surface to the eye as smooth as if it had been one mass of burnished gold. But Telouchkine knew that the sheets of copper were not even, uniformly closed upon each other; and, above all, that there were large nails used to fasten them, which projected from the side of the spire. Having meditated upon these circumstances, till his mind was made up, the mijik went to the government, and offered to repair the angel, without scaffolding, and without assistance, on condition of being reasonably paid for the time expended in the labour. The offer was accepted; for it was made in Russia, and by a Russian. On the day fixed for the adventure, Telouchkine, provided with nothing more than a coil of ropes, ascended the spire in the interiour, to the last window. Here he looked down at the concourse of the people below, and up at the glittering "needle," as it is called, tapering far above his head. But his heart did not fail him, and stepping gravely out upon the window, he set about his task. against the spire. In this position he threw, by a strong effort, a coil of cord over the ball; and so coolly and accurately was the aim taken, that at the first trial, it fell in the required direction, and he saw the end hang down on the opposite side. To draw himself up in his original position, to fasten the cord firmly around the globe, and with the assistance of this auxiliary to climb to the summit, were now an easy part of his task; and in a few minutes more Telouchkine stood by the side of the angel and listened to the shout that burst like sudden thunder from the concourse below, yet came to his ear only like a faint and hollow murmur. 'The cord, which he had an opportunity of fastening properly, enabled him to descend with comparative facility; and the next day he carried up with him a ladder of ropes, by means of which he found it easy to effect the necessary repairs. THE GLADNESS OF NATURE.-BRYANT. When our mother Nature laughs around; And gladness breathes from the blossoming ground? The clouds are at play in the azure space, |