NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 239 



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 fal- 

 lows, by deluging the one and washing away the soil of the 

 other. The hollow lane towards Alton was so torn and dis- 

 ordered as not to be passable till mended, rocks being removed 

 that weighed two hundred-weight. Those that saw the effect 

 which the great hail had on ponds and pools say that the dash- 

 ing of the water made an extraordinary appearance, the froth 

 and spray standing up in the air three feet above the sur- 

 face. The rushing and roaring of the hail, as it approached, 

 was truly tremendous. 



Though the clouds at South Lambeth, near London, were 

 at that juncture thin and light, and no storm was in sight, nor 

 within hearing, yet the air was strongly electric ; for the bells 

 of an electric machine at that place rang repeatedly, and 

 fierce sparks were discharged. 



When I first took the present work in hand I proposed to 

 have added an " Annus Historico-naturalis," or " The Natural 

 History of the Twelve Months of the Year;" which would 

 have comprised many incidents and occurrences that have not 

 fallen in my way to be mentioned in my series of letters ; but, 

 as Mr. Aikin of Warrington has lately published somewhat 

 of this sort, and as the length of my correspondence has 

 sufficiently put your patience to the test, I shall here take a 

 respectful leave of you and natural history together, and am, 



With all due deference and regard, 



Your most obliged and most humble servant, 



GIL. WHITE. 

 SELBORNE, 

 June 2$th, 1785. 



