VOL. XIX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TBANSACTIONS. 173 



to OfBey escaped with his life, but much bruised. In the house of Sir John 

 Spencer, 7000 quarries of glass were broken, and great damage done to all the 

 neighbouring houses thereabouts. The hail fell in such vast quantities, and so 

 great, that it tore up the ground, split great oaks and other trees, in great 

 numbers ; it cut down great fields of rye, as with a scythe, and has destroyed 

 several hundred acres of wheat, barley, &c. insomuch that they plougii it up, 

 and sow it with oats : the tempest was such when it fell, that in four poles of 

 land, from the hills near us, it carried away all the staple of the land, leaving 

 nothing but chalk. I was walking in my garden, which is very small, about 

 30 yards square, and before I could get out, it took me to my knees, and was 

 through my house before I could get in, which was in the space of a minute, 

 and went through all like a sea, carrying all wooden things like boats on the 

 water, the greatest part of the town being under this misfortune. The size of 

 the hail-stones is almost incredible ; they have been measured from 1, to 13 and 

 14 inches about. Their figures various, some oval, others round, others pointed, 

 some fiat. 



Of the Effects of a great Hail Storm in Herefordshire, June 1697. N° 220, 



p. 579. 



In the parish of Westhide, not far from Hereford,' so great a quantity fell, 

 as destroyed all the poultry, garden stuff, corn, grass, and most of the fruit 

 trees in the parish ; but killed no men nor cattle, though it liurt several, and 

 broke most of the windows : many of the stones were measured above g inches 

 in compass. 



A Note concerning an Extraordinary Hail in Monmouthshire, extracted out of a 

 Letter sent from Mr. Edward Lhwyd to Dr. Tancred Robinson, F.R.S. 

 N°229, p. 579. 



We had at Pont y Pool in Monmouthshire, on the 6th of June last, an 

 extraordinary shower of hail, which extended about a mile, and lasted near half 

 an hour. It broke the stalks of all the beans and wheat within that circumfer- 

 ence, and broke as much glass at M;ijor Hanbury's house, as cost 4 pounds 

 repairing : some of the stones were 8 inches about ; their figure very irregular 

 and unconstant, several of them being compounded. 



Account of a Foetus, voided by the ulcerated Navel of a Negro, in Nevis. By 

 Mr. James Brodie. Communicated by Dr. Preston. N° 229, p. 580. 



In the island of Nevis, in the West Indies, there was a negro woman belong- 

 ing to one Capt. Mead, who after 1.^ year being with child, was at the last re- 



