Electrical Countries. 413 



had it been night. Other claps of thunder suddenly stopped 

 these phenomena, which recommenced, however, before even 

 the grumbling of the clap had been echoed through the moun- 

 tains. They all experienced an electrical shock, more or less 

 violent, in several parts ; Mr. Watson's right arm was para- 

 lysed for several minutes till one of the guides pinched it 

 violently with his hand ; but he felt a pain in his shoulder for 

 several hours. At last, about half-past twelve o'clock, the 

 clouds dispersed and these effects disappeared, after having 

 been felt for about twenty-five minutes. At Lyons a brisk 

 north wind completely neutralized these stormy manifestations. 



4. Electricity of the Piz Surley. — A little more to the east 

 are the Grisons which touch Italy, concerning which M. H. de 

 Saussure, whose observations made in Mexico I have already 

 mentioned, has just forwarded to me the following note : — 



"The 22nd of June 1865, setting out from Saint Moritz 

 (Grisons) I ascended the Piz Surley, a granitic mountain whose 

 summit, more or less conical, rises to the height of 2300 metres. 

 During the preceding days the north wind had persistently 

 prevailed ; it became variable on the 22nd, and the sky was 

 covered with wandering' clouds. Towards noon, these vapours 

 increased, reuniting above the highest, and in other directions 

 keeping high enough not to hide the greater part of the 

 summits of the Engadine, upon which local showers soon fell. 



(t Their appearance of dusty vapours half transparent caused 

 us to think that it was only a shower of hail and snow or sleet. 



iC About one o'clock at night we were overtaken by a fine 

 sleet, thinly scattered, while similar showers of hail enveloped 

 the greater number of the rocky peaks, such as the Pic Ot, Pic 

 Julier, Pic Languard, and the snowy summits of the Bernina : 

 whilst a violent shower of rain fell in the valley of Saint Moritz. 



" The cold increased, and at half past one o'clock P.M., 

 having arrived at the summit of the Piz Surley, the fall of sleet 

 becoming heavier, we prepared to take our repast, near a 

 pyramid of dry stones, which crown the summit. Whilst 

 resting my cane against this construction, I experienced a 

 violent pain in my back, at the left shoulder, which resembled 

 that which would be produced by slowly thrusting a pin into 

 the flesh, and in taking away my hand without finding anything, 

 I felt a similar prick in my right shoulder. Then supposing 

 that my linen overcoat contained some pins, I threw it of; 

 but instead of finding any alleviation, my pains increased, 

 stretching across my back from one shoulder to the other, 

 accompanied by a sensation of tickling, and painful stinging, like 

 that which might be produced by a wasp or some other insect 

 in my clothes riddling me with pricks. 



