304 NOTES — ORIGINAL AND SELECTED. 



METEOROLOGY. 

 Curious Effect of a Lightning Stroke. — At the meeting 

 of the Royal Meteorological Society, on June 15th, the Rev. C. 

 F. Box gave an account of some curious " Effects of a Lightning 

 Stroke at Earl's Fee, Bowers Gifford, Essex, April 13th, 1904." 

 A thunderstorm occurred during the early morning hours, and 

 about 3 a.m. there was a blinding flash, ligliting up the whole 

 neighbourhood for miles around, followed immediately by a 

 crashing explosion. One person stated that he saw what 

 appeared to be a cylinder, and another person a ball of fire, 

 descend and then explode, " casting darts " in all directions. On 

 careful examination in daylight, it was found that in an oatfield, 

 which had recently been dredged, there were three distinct sets 

 of holes, ranging from nine inches down to about one inch in 

 diameter. The holes, which were circular, diminished in size as 

 they went downwards, and remained so on to the perfected 

 rounded ends at the bottom. Upon digging sectionally into the 

 soil, which is stiff yellow clay, it was found that the holes were 

 " as clean cut as though bored with an auger." 



Water-Spout at Brightlingsea. — *' On Wednesday morn- 

 ing, July 27th, about 10.45, during the early part of a rather 

 severe thunderstorm, a waterspout was seen to form in a south- 

 easterly direction from Brightlingsea, over towards ' B ' 

 Martello Towner. It hung for from 10 to 15 minutes on the 

 fringe of a very ominous-looking thunder-cloud, and then was 

 seen to assume a feathery spiral form, and move about very 

 violently in various directions. It then lowered its trunk-like 

 end over St. Osyth Channel, and commenced to disperse itself 

 just above ' The Pincushion.' It travelled over Cindery 

 Island, and its great bulk was deposited in the middle of 

 Brightlingsea Creek, near Underwood's Hard, opposite 'The 

 Folly.' Its roar was heard a very long distance. It was believed 

 to be from 30ft. to 40ft. through it, and it cast up its foam and 

 spray at least 40ft. high. It was certainly a magnificent sight. 

 Fortunately it was near high tide wiien it fell or the damage which 

 would have been done to the oysters and oyster grounds must 

 have been very serious. It is about 30 years since we observed 

 a water-spout in this vicinity, and on that occasion it burst over 

 what is known as ' Barker's Farm,' making a hole in a field big 

 enough to contain a waggon and four horses." — Essex Counti/ 

 Standard, July 30th, 1904. 



