388 The Natural History of Selborne 



such it is is that, on that quarter, between us and the sea, there are 

 continual mountains, hill behind hill, such as Nore-hill, the Barnet, 

 Butser-hill, and Portsdown, which somehow 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 turbu- 

 lent 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 morn- 

 ing being 64, and at noon 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 something 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 neighbours' 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 



