CHAPTER VI.
BLOODY RAIN.
There are on record several instances of a fall of red liquid exactly resembling blood in appearance, which has often been accompanied by a descent of aerolites. On the 15th of November 1755, there was a heavy shower of this kind at Ulm, and several parts of Russia and Sweden. There was another, March 5, 1803, in Apulia, where it seemed to fall from a reddish black cloud. A descent of large quantities of dry dust preceded the latter, and has on several occasions occurred by itself.
Before this phenomenon was understood, you will easily suppose that it was looked upon as something dreadfully portentous, and the more so from its occurring so unfrequently. It is now known to be closely related to the aerolites, as you shall hear.
Some of the liquid, looking just like congealed blood, which fell at Ulm, was examined. It was found to have a sour taste, owing, as it was thought, to the presence of sulphuric acid. When dried, the dust that remained, which constituted the colouring matter, was found to be subject to magnetic attraction, and in other respects to resemble the substance of the meteoric stones; so there can be no doubt that the dust is nothing more than what is caused by the fracture or the friction one against the other, of aerolites, and that the rain is made red by the dust falling on the clouds, from which it is precipitated.
RED SNOW.
Several travellers have witnessed the existence of snow of a bright red colour, in various parts of Baffin's Bay; and at Arezzo, in Italy, in March 1813, there was a fall of it, which lasted many hours.