THUNDER-STORMS. 281 



The only way that I can at all account for this fact for 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 Ports-down, which somehow divert 

 the storms, and give them a different direction. High pro- 

 montories, 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 these turbulent 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, 1 784, the thermometer 

 in the morning being at sixty-four, and at noon at seventy, 

 the barometer at twenty-nine, six-tenths one-half, and the 

 wind north, I observed a blue mist, smelling strongly of 

 sulphur, hang along our sloping woods, and seeming to indi- 

 cate 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 Harteley, 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 Har- 

 teley, it did some damage to one farm ; but Norton, which lay 



* On the 4tli January, 1829, a violent hail-storm passed over Edmonton, 

 near London ; during which, hailstones fell of an irregular shape, and 

 measuring three and four inches in circumference. Calamities from hail, 

 however, are but of rare occurrence in this country, compared with the 

 Continent. In France, hail-storms are frequent and formidable, and, in 

 many districts, have done great injuries to corn, as also to vines and olive 

 trees. In the years 1799, 1800, and 1801, the storms of hail in France 

 had been more than usually prevalent, and many families had, in conse- 

 quence, been reduced to ruin. This state of things suggested to M. Barrau, 

 of Toulouse, the establishment of a mutual indemnity insurance company 

 against hail, which has been continued ever since. 



Some time ago, hailstones fell at Sterlitamak, in the government of 

 Oneaburg, which were found to contain in their centre a nucleus of small 

 stones. These were analyzed, and in one hundred, their component parts 

 consisted of red oxide of iron 70.00, of oxide of manganese 7.50, alum 

 3.75, silica 7.50, sulphur and waste 5,00. 



