l?-2 Observuiions on the heavy SLorm 



from the S.V/., when, a vivid flasli of lightning made its appear^ 

 ance in the cast. This was followed by a clap of thunder after 

 a lapse of about 30 seconds ; and for the space of an hour the 

 lightning flashed every few minutes, followed bv thunder at shorter 

 and shorter intervals. At 1 1 o'clock it succeeded the flash in 

 aljont 12 seconds. By this time the blackness in the west had 

 put on a formidable appearance, and at about a quarter past 1 1 

 the first flash of lightning was observed in that fpiartev ; here 

 the thunder was less loud, and followed the flash in 15 seconds. 



It was remarkable that the lightning elicited from the nimbus 

 in the west was forked, of a reddish hue, and seemed to run along, 

 or rather parallel to, the earth ; while that in the east produced a 

 vivid blue extended sheet of such dazzling splendour that the eye 

 could scarcely bear its effulgence: there was, however, at inter- 

 vals, a light yellow-coloured flash seen with the forked lightning 

 in the west. 



Very soon after the nimbus in the west had begun to discharge 

 the electric fluid, a perpetual flashing of a yellow-coloured light- 

 ning was observable at its southern limb, and, what is highly 

 curious, the same was visible at the southern limb of that in the 

 e#st: this, on each side of the heavens, continually diverged 

 towards the south, till at length it met in that point, forming a 

 zone or band of light on the horizon about 12 degrees broad; 

 and so rapidly successive were the flashes, that the light appeared 

 to be constant, illuminating objects as brilliantly as moonlight. 



It was about 12 o'clock at night when the band of light was 

 complete, and then the storm raged for the space of an hour 

 with unabated fury. The rain poured down in torrents, and the 

 thunder appeared one prolonged rumbling. It must not be over- 

 looked however, that quite independently of this constant zone 

 of light, both the eastern and western nimbi continued, in inter- 

 vals of about eight or ten minutes, to discharge extremely vivid 

 flashes of lightning just as at first; that from the east so brilliant 

 as quite to overpower for the moment the constant light in the 

 horizon. The nimbus in the west continued also to eu)it the 

 forked lightning as at the commencement of the storm. 



At 1 in the morning a very large dense black cumulus was seen 

 sailing majestically in the northern part of the heavens, coming 

 towards the south ^ it moved slowly; and when it had reached the 

 zenith, or a little to the southward of it, exactly between the 

 extreme confines of the two nimbi bearing due east and west as 

 already described, a discharge took place at the same moment of 

 time, both from or into its eastern and western sides (or rather 

 base), of two inconceivably vivid sjjheres of light, of a sulphu- 

 reous blue colour, having a nucleus (if such expression may he 

 allowed) of brilliant red : the lightning issuing forth with thena 



was 



I 



