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 Nor- 

 ton, 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 prodigious 

 torrents of rain on the farms above mentioned, 

 which occasioned a flood as violent as it was sud- 

 den ; doing great damage to the meadows and fal- 

 lows, 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 that saw the effect which 

 the great hail had on ponds and pools, say that the 

 dashing of the water made an extraordinary appear- 

 ance, the froth and spray standing up in the air three 

 feet above the surface. The rushing and roaring of 



the hail as it approached was truly tremendous. 



197 



