78 THE EFFECTS OF A FLASH OF LIGHTNING. 



one's wrist (Fig. 7 c) ; this is deeply (one to two inches), but not 

 very broadly, grooved and furrowed as though with a very rough 

 plough-plane, long shreds and splinters being forced outwards and 

 thrown out. The groove is continuous down the north-east side 

 to the trunk (PI. VI., Fig. 7), and so to the ground, where the 

 turf was torn up. The distance of this tree from the trees 

 struck nearest to it, Nos. 5 and 6, is 22^ yards. No. 8, a small 

 ash tree eight or ten inches in diameter and about 3 oft. high, 

 the smallest of a group of three standing close together, 

 but with three others, much larger, i2ft. off, and two oaks 

 larger again i2ft. to 24ft. off, all forming, however, only 

 one group. No. 8 was struck at a few feet from the top of a 

 long but small dead limb, about loft, from the highest point of 

 the tree, and furrowed in a sinuous line to its junction with the 

 trunk (PL VI., Fig. 8 d), which is twelve feet from the ground. 

 No further trace is visible until about 7ft. 6in. from the ground 

 on the N.W. side of the trunk, where the bark is simply cracked as 

 though from within, and in the crack a small round clean cut hole 

 like a gimlet hole is visible. Just below this (PL VI., Fig. 8 e) a 

 broad strip of bark and wood to half an inch in depth, and reaching 

 to about 2ft. from the ground, was thrown off. There was here 

 no visible trace of the passage of the current into the earth. 

 This tree was 38 yards eastward from the next nearest struck 

 tree, No. 7. As I observed at first, I have never made any ex- 

 perimental study of the laws of electricity. I therefore do not 

 intend to offer any observations of a scientific nature on the above 

 facts ; but the first thing which strikes one is that eight trees 

 covering so large an area as 82 yards long by 30 wide, and so 

 variously grouped and placed in that area, should have all been 

 struck, as above detailed, by one single discharge of electric fluid. 

 There is no room for doubt upon this point. I myself and others 

 who were within 500 yards of the spot at the time can testify that 

 there was no other flash, nor sound of thunder, than the one which 

 did the mischief. This is unique in my own experience. Then 

 next I would observe that in no one of the trees struck are the first 



