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quantity of rain that has twice been exceeded at Selbornein 

 the short period of my observations. Dr. Huxham remarks 

 that frequent small rains keep the air moist ; while heavy 

 ones render it more dry, by beating down the vapours. 

 He is also of opinion that the dingy, smoky appearance of 

 the sky, in very dry seasons, arises from the want of 

 moisture sufTicient to let the light through, and render the 

 atmosphere transparent ; because he had observed several 

 bodies more diaphanous when wet than dry ; and did 

 never recollect that the air had that look in rainy seasons. 



My friend who lives just beyond the top of the down, 

 brought his three swivel guns to try them in my outlet, 

 with their muzzles towards the Hanger, supposing that the 

 report would have had a great effect ; but the experiment 

 did not answer his expectation. He then removed them 

 to the Alcove on the Hanger : when the sound, rushing 

 along the Lythe and Combwood, was very grand : but it 

 was at the Hermitage that the echoes and repercussions 

 delighted the hearers ; not only filling the Lythe with 

 the roar, as if all the beeches were tearing up by the 

 roots ; but, turning to the left, they pervaded the vale 

 above Combwood-ponds ; and after a pause seemed to 

 take up the crash again, and to extend round Harteley- 

 hangers, and to die away at last among the coppices and 

 coverts of Ward le ham. It has been remarked before 

 that this district is an Anathoth, a place of responses or 

 echoes, and therefore proper for such experiments : we 

 may further add that the pauses in echoes, when they 

 cease and yet are taken up again, like the pauses in music, 

 surprise the hearers, and have a fine effect on the 

 imagination. 



The gentleman above mentioned has just fixed a 

 barometer in his parlour at Newton Valence. The tube 

 was first filled here (at Selborne) twice with care, when 

 the mercury agreed and stood exactly with my own ; but 



