254 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



thermometer in the morning being at 64, and at noon 

 at 70, the barometer at 29 — six-tenths one-half, and 

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

 of sulphur, hanging along our sloping woods, and seem- 

 ing 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 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 Norton, 

 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 sudden ; doing 

 great damage to the meadows and fallows, 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 tiU mended, rocks being removed that weighed 

 200 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 appearance, 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. 



