V'ol ill- . MifcelUnea Curtoft. 2S9 



Irhefe things are remarkable, that it gene- 

 i'aHy breaks in at the Gable end of the Hou- 

 ies, and often kills Perfons in, or near the 

 Chimneys range, darting molt fiercely down, 

 the Funnel of the Chimney, more efpecial* 

 ly if there be a Fire, (I fj3eak here confufed- 

 lyof Thunder and Lightning) for when they 

 do any Mifchief, the Crafli and Lightning 

 are at the fame Inltant, which muft be fram 

 the nearnels of the Cloud. One time when 

 the Thtinder fplit the Maft of a Boat at 

 James Town, I faw it break from the Cloud, 

 which it divided in two, and feem'd as if it 

 had fhot them immediatly a Mile afunder, to 

 the Eye t It is dangerous when it Thunders 

 Handing in a narrow PaiTage, where there's 

 a thorough PalTage, or in a Room betwixt 

 two Windows tho' feveral have been kill'd 

 in the open Fields* ^Tis incredible to tell 

 how it will ftrike large Oaks, (hatter and fhi- 

 ver them, fometimes twifting round a Tree, 

 ibnietimes as if it ftruck the Tree backwards 

 and forwards. I had noted a fine fpreading 

 Oak in James Town Ifland, in the Morning I 

 faw it fair and flourilhing, in the Evening I 

 obferved all the Bark of the Body of the 

 Tree, as if it had been artificially peeFd off ; 

 Was orderly fpread round the Tree, in a Ring^ 

 Whofe Semidiameter was four Yards, the 

 Tree in the Center; all the Body of the 

 Tree was ftiaken and fplic^ but its Boughs 

 had all their Bark on ^ few Leaves were fal- 

 len, aijd thofe on the Boughs as frefli as ia 

 the Mornings but gradually afterwards wi- 

 thered, as oil a Tree that is fallen. I have 

 fe§n feveral Valt Oaks aild other Timber 



U Treef 



