THE POSITION OF MY HOUSE
WAS SINGULARLY FAVORABLE TO ME IN THESE
OBSERVATIONS
THESE PHENONEMA WOULD NOT BE
VISIBLE FROM THE NEW OR OLD
OBSERVATORY NOR FROM ANY OTHER
MOUNTAIN NORTH OF MARSEILLE
AS THE SUN HAD TO BE AT ONE’S BACK
TO PROPERLY DISTINGUISH THIS
WALL OF DUST

WEST OF THIS CITY AND VISIBLE IN THE
DISTANCE WAS A FACTORY CHIMNEY WHICH
BURNED DAY AND NIGHT
WHEN THE AIR WAS CALM THE CHIMNEY’S
WHITE SMOKE WAS RISING STRAIGHT
UP TO A CERTAIN HEIGHT
EXACTLY TO THE HIGHEST POINT
OF THE CLOUD OF DUST
THEN IT BENT INTO A RIGHT ANGLE

FOLLOWING A HORIZONTAL PATH AS FAR AS
THE EYE COULD SEE AS THOUGH THE SMOKE WAS
CONTAINED BY A CEILING
OUR ATMOSPHERE IS DIVIDED NOT
ONLY INTO HORIZONTAL LAYERS
BUT ALSO ACCORDING TO EVAPORATIONS
THAT RISE VERTICALLY SO
TO SPEAK IN CELLS VERY DIFFERENT
FROM ONE ANOTHER

I THINK THAT A LANDSCAPE PAINTER
IN THE HABIT OF OBSERVING AND
REFLECTING ON THESE THINGS
WOULD COME AROUND TO MY OPINION
MORE EASILY THAN THE METEOROLOGISTS WHO
SURROUNDED NOWADAYS BY PILES
OF INSTRUMENTS THAT NOTE AND
REGISTER AUTOMATICALLY HAVE
UNLEARNED THE USE OF THEIR EYES