ACCIDENTS FROM LIGHTNING. 107 



exactly resembles the firing of a piece of ordnance, 

 followed by the peal of thunder which is broken in 

 upon by the succeeding crash before its reverberation 

 has ceased. We have sometimes seen such storms 

 work right round the compass, and return overhead 

 two or three times, before ceasing, as if moving in 

 a great circle. 



The wonderful thing is not that so many accidents 

 occur, but that one escapes at all, on such occasions, 

 w T hen the electricity seems to be all round one, and 

 the very heat of the flash sometimes seems to be quite 

 distinctly felt upon the face. Yet the danger is more 

 apparent than real, for as a rule, people in general 

 get off quite safe. Mr. Selous, however, mentions a 

 case, where two travellers were struck by lightning 

 whilst sitting in their waggon, on the plains of the 

 Transvaal one recovered, but the other was killed 

 upon the spot. * On another occasion during a storm, 

 a number of cattle were instantaneously killed, by 

 the lightning striking a tree under which they were 

 taking shelter. 



" Suddenly" (Mr. Selous says), " I saw splinters fly from a 

 tree about sixty yards off, whilst all the cattle standing be- 

 neath it, fell to the ground. On going up to see what had 

 happened, I found thirteen fine oxen lying killed. Most of 

 them must have had their heads down, feeding, and had 

 fallen so suddenly, that their heads were bent under their 

 bodies. I turned all the carcases over, but could find no 

 mark of any kind on them." f 



We might proceed to multiply instances of disasters 

 which have occurred throughout the world, caused by 



* Travels in S.E. Africa, by F. C. Selous, 1893, p. 448. 

 j Ibid., p. 447. 



