286 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



the case in summer 1783, when, though the country round 

 was continually harassed with tempests, and often from the 

 south, yet we escaped them all, as appears by my journal of 

 that summer. 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 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 turbulent meteors ; while the humble 

 vales escape, because they are so far beneath them. 



But, when I say I do not remember a thunderstorm 

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

 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 29'6J° 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 ex- 

 tensive as it was violent, and of any continuance (for it was 

 very short), it must l^ave ravaged all the neighbourhood. 



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