Of Traversing Thunder-Clouds. 141 



his memoir concerning the formation of hail, he characterized 

 the project of traversing a thunder-cloud as fool-hardiness. 

 However this may be, the question appears to me to merit 

 examination. It appears important to know if meteorologists 

 may cherish the hope of going, sooner or later, to study the 

 thunderbolt in the spot where it is elaborated. It is also of 

 importance, that we should be able accurately to value the real 

 amount of danger we are exposed to in certain mountains where 

 thunder-storms arise so rapidly that it is impossible for the tra- 

 veller to escape them. In the mean while, my task will be 

 confined to the investigation, whether individuals have ever been 

 found affected by the lightning of a decided thunder-storm 

 without being killed by it. And here I shall avail myself only 

 of such observations as are clear, precise, and free from ambi- 

 guity. All these characters are admirably combined in an ac- 

 count of the Abbe Richard* author of the " Histoire de VAhy 

 et des Meteores. 



Towards the end of August 1750, this gentleman ascended 

 in his carriage the small mountain of Boyer^ at a short distance 

 from Senecey^ between Chdhns-sur-Saone^ and Toumus. At 

 about three-quarters of the height of the mountain, a cloud was 

 suspended in which the thunder rolled from time to time. 

 Speedily M. Richards reached it. From that moment the thun- 

 der no longer was heard in sharp peals with intervals of silence ; 

 but it made a continual noise " similar to the rolling of a heap of 

 nuts upon wooden planks." At the top of the mountain the ob- 

 server found himself above the cloud. Nor had the storm ceased 

 now ; for the lightning again flashed brightly, and loud peals 

 of thunder followed. 



The second instance, which I proceed to cite, has not the 

 guarantee of coming from a natural philosopher, and in some re- 

 spects is on this account preferable, as the circumstances, few 

 and simple, were collected by an individual who had no sys- 

 tem to support. I write the following lines at the dictation 

 of my sister. " Some years ago I set off in the morning, with 

 two of my friends, from the village of Estagel to go to Limoux. 

 Our carriage had already accomplished a considerable part of 

 the winding and rapidly ascending road of the Col-Saint Louis, 

 when the whole valley suddenly became covered with stormy 

 clouds, concerning whose nature no one could mistake, since they 



