OF SELBORNE. 399 



But, when I say I do not remember a thunderstorm 

 from the south, I do not mean that we never have suf- 

 fered from thunderstorms 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 art hand. I 

 was called in about two in the afternoon, and so missed 

 seeing the gathering of the clouds in the north, which 

 they w r ho were abroad assured me had something un- 

 common 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 pro- 

 digious torrents of rain on the farms abovementioned, 

 which occasioned a flood as violent as it was sudden ; 

 doing great damage to the meadows and fallows, by 

 deluging the one and washing away the soil of the 

 other. The hollow lane towards Alton was so torn 

 and disordered as not to be passable till mended, rocks 

 being removed that weighed two hundred weight. Those 



