OF SELBORNE. 273 



case in summer 1783, when though the country round was 

 continually harassed with tempests, and often from the south, 

 yet we escaped them all ; as appears by my journal of that 

 summer. The only way that I can at all account for this fact 

 for such it is is that, on that quarter, between us and the 

 sea. there are continual mountains, hill behind hill, such as 

 Nore-htll, the Barnet, Butser-liill, and Ports-doivn, which 

 some how divert the storms, and give them a different direc- 

 tion. 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 six tenths one-half, 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 something uncommon 

 in it's 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 neighbours' windows. 



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