Description, and explanation of the weather-glass

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A Defcription, and Explanation of the
WEATHER-GLASS
IT is a GlaE-Cane, about fourty Inch long, of a.Imall
wklenefs, hollow within, clofe at the top, and open
at the lower end. It is filled compleatly with Qiick-
flver. The mqpth of it is flopped, with the pulp of
the Finger, and the Cane being thus inverted, and the
Finger removed, the, Metal falls down from the top, and .
halts about thirty Inches from the lotwer end, where it is
received in a (mail Veilel with Quickfilver in it*
There are two difficulties which occur in mounting of
it. Firffc, At what diftance from the lower end, muft the
Degrees of fair and foul Weather be affixed ? The other
difficulty is, How to thruft out the fmall Particles, of Air
thatj lurk among the Quickfilver, when the Cane is lull?
Thp firfl: cannot be known but by long obfervation,
which I have done thefe many Years bygone. The fecond
cannot be done without skill and experience. Either of
the two,but efpecially the fir ft, renders the Weather-Glafs
deceitful.
The Paper, or Brafs-plate, is divided into half Inches,
and each Part into five Parts, called Degrees. In the firft
place, is written, Mojl '-pleafant Weather, and oppofite to
it, the Letter A. |I may call this ftation, thehigheft Tro-
'pickj becaufe the" Mercury goes nof higher ordinarily. "
Here is excellent, fair, dry, and calm Weather. The Air
is pleafant, wholefbme and fweet, whether it be Summer,
or Winter. In Winter, hard dry Froft, and the Heavens
clear. Rather in Winter than in Summer, I find it at this
hight. Its long fair, fo that a Man may have confidence fo
ride a long Journey, without one drop of Rain. Wh&i
Wind or Rain is a brewing, the Metal falls down by de¬
grees {lowly towards B, which ftation I call Dry and fair
Weather, but it does not continue lb long ordinarily as at
A. The Heavens may be black and cloudy,and fome Dew¬
falling, but no Rain. The third ftation is C, which I
call uncertain Weather 5 becauie, if the Metal halt here,
the Air is demuring, whether to be fair or foul. If the
Quickfilver hath afcended from D ,10 C, fair Weather
is more likely to be than foul 5 but if it hath defended
from B to C, foul Weather js-t more likely to be. In
Summer you will find good and tolerable Weather at C:
drjfchigh Winds will bring it to C. It halts about C in
dry Froft and Snow. In Eafterly and Northeaft Winds,
even with Rain, the Metal keeps about this ftation 5 be¬
caufe ( which is ftrange ) fuch Winds raifes the Mercury,
whereas other Winds make it fubfide and fall down. I
call the fourth ftation D, Wet Weather, that is, fhowrs
now and then , fbmetimes fair, and fbmetimes foul. In
Winter, I have feen Sleet and raw Froft. No fetled Wea¬
ther can be expected here 3 a day, or a part of it, may be|
fair, but not long. I call the fifth ftation E, Stormy\
Weather 3 namely, frequent Rains,Avith Winds, and fome
days may feem to be fair, yetif it continue here, you may
expert more foul Weather than before. No Froft, or
. Snow here. If the Winds be from the Weft, Southweftv
or South, and begin to increafe,. with much Rain, the
Mercury falls down towards F, which is the laft ftation,
and loweft Tropick. Here are extraordinary highWinds,
with much Rain, tempeftuous Weather as can be. Here
k was upon Saturday afternoon, March 6, 1680. You
may expeft long foul Weather at F, as there is long fair
.Weather at A.
The firft general Rule is, the further up the Mercury
‘^oes, the Weather inclines to be the fairer 5 and the fur¬
ther down it comes, the Weather inclines to be the fouler.
Secondly, When ever you obferve the Metal to fall down,
two or three Degrees, from the place where it halted, be
iure of fome change of Weather. Sometimes (asinSum-
mer) I have found this, and yet no Rain followed, at leaft
here, but in fbme place not far off, there hath been Rain.
^Thirdly, The Metal being at A, or B, fair Weather is
univerlal. It being at F, foul Weather is uniyerfal.
^Fourthly, ( which muft be ierioufly obferved J It is not
much foul or fair Weather a&ually that influences afid
a&eth the Quickfilver, as it is the difpofitiori and inclina¬
tion of the Weather 3 therefore you will fometimes fee
"the Weather-Glafs affirm foul or rainy Weather, when
the day or the moft part of it will be fair 3 yet the Wea¬
ther is under a# ftrong inclination to be foul. Herein
confifts the excellency of this Weather-Glafs, that it (hews
ius evidently the nature and difpofition of the Weather^
which we cannot well know, but as we guefs.
£ It is ufeful tb all Perfbns. To Men that travel by Sea,
>|3r Land. To the Hufband-man in Seedtime, and Har-
C eft 3 for winning of Corn and Hay. After long drought
in Summer, k lets him know that Rain is a coming. .To
Phyficians and Patients. To Ladies and Gentlewomen,
and others, when they incline to walk. It lets the
Good-wife of die Houfe know, whether (he may fend out
her Servants to the Walter with Linnings, or not.
It may be taken down, and carried many Miles. It is
not fubje<ft to corruption. It is a moft: pleafant and beau¬
tiful Ornament to a Gentlemans Clofet, or Chamber. It
is very delightful to fee the Mercury ebb and flow, fol-
N lowing the Weather, as the Sea follows the motion of the
Moon.
To difcourfe fully upon this noble Invention, in difeo-
vering the reafbns and caufes of the various effects that are
feen, would take a very long time. As, what fiiftains
the Mercury } Why it halts at 30 Inches high ? Why dry
Weather fhould raife it > Why in foul Weather it Chould
fall down ? Why it goes no lower then F ? Why it
« goes no higher than A ? Why eafterly Winds do raife it ?
j Why wefterly Winds make it fall down ? Why in high
[ and loud. Wind?, the Mercury ebbs and flows very fenfi-
bly } Why in the Reclining-Glafs, the Tropicks are at
a greater diftance, than in the Perpendicular-Glafs ? But
leaving all thefe things, I conclude with Virgil in his fourth
Book of the Georgicks,
m
Intus je vafii Rroteus tegit ohice fixi. By G. S.
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