94 Major L. Blesson's Account of a Thunder-storm. 



ceived, along with a violent noise, a sudden cessation of th^ 

 former tension. The noise may be best compared with a dis- 

 tant dull cannon-shot, only more continuous and louder, or may 

 be compared with the explosion in a mine ; but no rolling was 

 heard. The grass was in motion, but I was too much surprised 

 and confounded to make more particular observations. The 

 convulsive motion of the cloud ceased for a moment, but im- 

 mediately began again, and with it the tension was renewed. 

 During the moments of rotation, the vaporic particles appeared 

 to be arranged in rows into fibres, which moved still more vio- 

 lently amongst each other, — and after the explosion all was 

 again calm, and a mere fog or cloud was visible. My poodle 

 dog was the first object of my attention ; it seemed to me to be 

 thicker than usual, and his hair bristled up ; I stroked it seve- 

 ral times, and saw it bristle up under my hand. A new flash 

 of lightning took place, and I could distinctly perceive, not- 

 withstanding the light, that the whole body of my dog glim« 

 mered with a peculiar lustre, the hair, formerly bristled up, now 

 fell flat, and he sunk down on his knees. This was a conse- 

 quence of the stronger streaming of electricity from him than I 

 experienced, and which seemed, as it were, to draw me from 

 the mountain. Although during the tension, the feeling of draw- 

 ing out was continuous and always increasing in intensity, still 

 it was strongest at the moment when the electrical discharge 

 took place ; the hair bristled up more, and I felt something, as 

 it were^ passing from out my interior, and instantaneously all 

 was past, and the hair flat again. On the next flash of light- 

 ning, I noticed the appearance of the grass ; on the discharge 

 it appeared shining at its extremities ; it became erect, when I 

 felt the tension increasing in my body, but became gradually 

 wet, and then sunk down again. 



Notice regarding the Asphaltum or Pitch Lake of Trinidad. 

 By Captain J. E. Alexander, 42d Royal Highlanders, 

 .1\ R. G. S. M. R. A. S., &c. Communicated by the Author. 



One of the greatest natural curiosities in this part of the world, is 

 the lake of asphaltum or pitch in Trinidad, situated about thirty- 



