Galvanism. 117 



sparks may be drawn from his body as if he had 

 been electrified in the usual manner. 



Thunder storms in this country are seldom 

 attended with fatal effects, yet it is desirable to 

 be made aware of their approach. They are ge- 

 nerally observed to happen when there is little 

 or no wind, and are preceded by one dense cloud 

 or more, increasing very rapidly in size, and 

 rising into the higher regions of the air. The 

 lower surface is black and nearly level, the upper 

 parts are arched and well defined; sometimes 

 many of them appear piled one upon another, 

 all arched in the same manner. At the time 

 this cloud rises, the air is generally full of small 

 separate clouds, motionless, and of whimsical 

 shapes. These gradually are drawn towards the 

 thunder cloud, and when they come near it their 

 limbs mutually stretch towards each other, and 

 then coalesce. Sometimes, however, the thunder 

 cloud swells and enlarges without the addition of 

 these clouds, from its attracting the vapours of 

 the atmosphere, wherever it passes. When the 

 thunder cloud is grown to a great size, the lower 

 surface becomes rugged, parts being detached 

 towards the earth, but still connected with the 

 rest. About this time also it seems to sink lower, 

 and a number of small clouds are driven about 

 under it, in very uncertain directions. It is while 

 these clouds are most agitated that the rain or 

 hail falls in the greatest abundance. 



While the thunder cloud is swelling, and ex- 



