in which the Electricity passed from the Earth. 83 



barges in the river. The sound gradually terminated in a heavy 

 distant roll of thunder in the clouds westward of him. 



Accomit of a Thunder Storm at Malvern, Worcestershire. 



The morning of the 1st of July 182()5 being warm and sun* 

 ny, the barometer at 8 a. m. 30.27, the thermometer at the 

 same hour being at 72°, and at half-past 2 p. m. 82°, very 

 heavy dense cumuli began to form soon after 10 a.m., and at 

 2 p. M. it thundered loud in the S. W. and in the W. N. W. 

 At a quarter before 3 p. m. a very loud clap of thunder was 

 heard in the village of Great Malvern, about seven miles S. W. 

 of Worcester. A party, consisting of two sons and four daugh- 

 ters of Mr Hill of Dymock, Gloucestershire, and Miss Wood- 

 gate of Hereford, accompanied by two servants, were upon 

 the hills above the village, and, observing a storm gathering 

 round them, with heavy thunder, they retired to take some 

 refreshment they had brought with them, to a hut situa- 

 ted on a high ridge about three or four hundred yards below 

 the summit of the mountain. Several huts had been erected 

 on the hill by the Countess of Harcourt for the accommodation 

 of the company frequenting Malvern, and for the purpose of 

 affording shelter in case of a sudden shower. These huts were 

 small circular buildings, built with the rough fragments of gra- 

 nite found on the surface of the hills, the outside walls beins: 

 white-washed with lime ; and the roofs were made of sheet iron. 

 It is not a little remarkable that Miss Elizabeth Hill observed 

 when she entered the hut, that she felt alarmed lest the iron 

 roof should attract the lightning. They had scarcely entered 

 this retreat, and were about to take their refreshment, when a 

 violent storm of thunder and lightning came on from the west, 

 and at a quarter before three p. m. one of the Mr Hills, who 

 stood at the entrance which fronted the east, saw a ball of fire 

 which seemed to him moving on the surface of the ground. It 

 instantaneously entered the hut, forcing him several paces for- 

 wards from the doorway. As soon as he recovered from the 

 shock, he found his sisters on the floor of the hut, fainting, as 

 he supposed, from alarm. He instantly sent oif one of the par- 

 ty who had escaped injury for assistance, and the usual means 

 of recovery were applied by a medical practitioner from the 



