CONNECTED THEREWITH--EXPLANATION OF THE CAUSE--SHOWERS OF FISH--SHOWERS
OF RATS--SHOWERS OF FROGS--INSECT SHOWER--SHOWERS OF VEGETABLE
SUBSTANCES--MANNA--WHEAT--SHOWERS OF STONES--METEORIC STONES, OR
AEROLITES--METEORIC IRON--SUPPOSITIONS RESPECTING THEM--FOSSIL RAIN.

Water, in the state of rain, hail, snow, or dew, is generally the only
substance which falls from the atmosphere upon the earth. There are,
however, many well authenticated instances of various substances being
showered down upon the land, to the great alarm of persons who were
ignorant that the powerful action of the wind was, perhaps, the chief
cause of the strange visitations to which we allude.

We read of showers of sand, mud, sulphur, blood, fishes, frogs, insects,
and stones; and it may be useful, as well as interesting, to quote a few
examples of each description of shower.

On the west coast of Africa, between Cape Bojador and Cape Verd, and
thence outwards, the land, during the dry season, consists of little else
but dust or sand, which, on account of its extreme fineness, is raised
into the atmosphere by the slightest current of air; while a moderate
wind will convey it to so considerable a distance as even to annoy ships
crossing the Atlantic. On the 14th and 15th January, 1839, the Prussian
ship, _Princess Louisa_, being in N. lat. 24 degrees 20', and W. long. 26
degrees 42', had her sails made quite yellow by the fine sand which
covered them. This effect was produced when the distance from land was
as much as from 12 to 20 degrees. About a fortnight after the time when
this ship crossed these parts of the Atlantic, a similar effect was
produced on board the English ship _Roxburgh_. One of the passengers,
the Rev. W. B. Clarke, says:--"The sky was overcast, and the weather
thick and insufferably oppressive, though the thermometer was only 72
degrees. At 3 P.M. Feb. 4, the wind suddenly lulled into a calm; then
rose from the SW. accompanied by rain, and the air appeared to be filled
with dust, which affected the eyes of the passengers and crew. The
weather was clear and fine, and the powder which covered the sails was of
a reddish-brown colour, resembling the ashes ejected from Vesuvius; and
Mr. Clarke thinks that this dust may have proceeded from the volcanic
island of Fogo, one of the Cape de Verds, about forty-five miles from the
place where the ship then was.

In countries which are subject to long-continued droughts the soil is