158 NATURAL HISTORY 



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 as- 

 sured 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 gar- 

 den-lights and hand-glasses, and many of 



