286 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



as Nore-hill, the Barnet, Butser-hill, and Ports-down, which some- 

 how divert the storms, and give them a different direction. High 

 promontories, and elevated grounds, have always been observed to 

 attract clouds and disarm them of their mischievous contents, 

 which are discharged into the trees and summits as soon as they 

 come in contact with those turbulent meteors while the humble 

 vales escape, because they are so far beneath them. 



But, when I say I do not remember a thunder-storm from the 

 south, I do not mean that we never have suffered from thunder- 

 storms at all; for on June 5th, 1784, the thermometer in the 

 morning being at 64, and at noon at 70, the barometer at 29-6! 

 and the wind north, I observed a blue mist, smelling strongly 

 of sulphur, hanging along our sloping woods, and seeming to 

 indicate that thunder was at hand. I was called in about two in 

 the afternoon, and so missed seeing the gathering of the clouds in 

 the north ; which they who were abroad assured me had some- 

 thing uncommon in its appearance. At about a quarter after two 

 the storm began in the parish of Hartley, moving slowly from 

 north to south : and from thence it came over Norton-farm, and 

 so to Grange-farm, both in this parish. It began with vast drops 

 of rain, which were soon succeeded by round hail, and then by 

 convex pieces of ice, which measured three inches in girth. Had 

 it been as extensive as it was violent, and of any continuance (for 

 it was very short), it must have ravaged all the neighbourhood. 

 In the parish of Hartley it did some damage to one farm ; but 

 Norton, which lay in the centre of the storm, was greatly injured ; 

 as was Grange, which lay next to it. It did but just reach to the 

 middle of the village, where the hail broke my north windows, 

 and all my garden-lights and hand-glasses, and many of my neigh- 

 bours' windows. The extent of the storm was about two miles in 

 length and one in breadth. We were just sitting down to dinner ; 

 but were soon diverted from our repast by the clattering of tiles 

 and the jingling of glass. There fell at the same time prodigious 

 torrents of rain on the farms above-mentioned, which occasioned 

 a flood as violent as it was sudden ; doing great damage to the 

 meadows and fallows, by deluging the one and washing away the 

 soil of the other. The hollow lane towards Alton was so torn 



