A similar darkness has sometimes gathered over the city of London, in consequence of a vast accumulation of smoke, so as to make it necessary for passengers in the streets to use lighted torches at midday. In 1783, a great part of Europe was for weeks overspread with a haziness of atmosphere which caused great consternation. The churches were crowded with supplicants. The astronomer Lalande attempted to allay the fright by endeavoring to account for the appearance, which he ascribed to an uncommon exhalation of watery particles from the great rain of the preceding year. But at last it was ascertained to be owing to smoke, occasioned by the great eruption of the volcano Hecla, which covered more than three thousand square miles with burning lava, in some places to the depth of forty feet. Dr. Franklin was in Europe at the time, and afterwards gave an account of the circumstances relating to this uncommon eruption. In fact, immense issues of smoke, from fires and volcanoes, have, from time immemorial, produced similar effects in different countries. We will subjoin a few remarkable appearances that have taken place in the heavens, that the reader may at once perceive that in scarcely any age of the world have its inhabitants been destitute of some _sign_, that might, to the timid and uninformed, be considered as the prognostication of some awful catastrophe about to happen. In 1574, on the 15th of November, _large and terrific beams of fiery light_ were seen during the night. And similar appearances are noted in Vogel's Chronicles, as having occurred in November, 1637, and 1661. In the old Breslau Collections, there is mention made of a large _moonlike meteor_, which passed off with an explosion, on the 10th of November, 1721; and of a great _fire-flash_, or _flame-emitting comet_, on the 12th day. According to Vogel's Chronicles, there appeared on the 30th November, 1663, _a large cross_, and other signs in the skies. On the 11th of August, 1561, there was seen, in the forenoon, _a very remarkable red meteor_, emitting frequent _flashes of light_. In 1717, _numerous meteors_ were seen at Fryeburg; and at Utchland, in August, 1715. On the 10th of August, 1717, _a large fire-ball_ was seen in Lusace, Silesia, Poland, and Hungary. In the Frankfort Chronicle of July 29, 1694, it is mentioned that _the heavens were full of fiery flames!_ as also again on the 9th of August. On February 22, 1719, _a large fire-ball_ was seen in several places. On the 22d, 1720, _an immense red cross_ was seen at Novogorod and Kiew; and on the 19th, 1722, _a huge fire-ball_!