t 42 3 
III. Account of the violent Storm of 'Lightning at E-aft- bourn, 
in Suflex, Sept. 17, 1780; communicated by Owen Salulbury- 
Brereton, Fff, F. R . and A . S. 
Read December 14, 1780:,. 
S I R, 
I AM defined by my friend and" neighbour james adair, Eiqv. 
of Soho Square, to communicate to you an account of the 
dreadful accident which happened to him and his family at BaH- 
bourn, in the county of SulTex, at nine o’clock in the morning, 
on Sunday the feventeenth of September baft. He rented a 
houfe which Hood by itfelf, built of various forts of Hone, 
three flories high, and facing the fea, which was nearly South- 
eafl of it. The morning was very flormy, with rain, thunder, 
and lightning ; and j'uH at nine o’clock a horrid black cloud ap* 
peared, out of which Mr. adair faw feveral balls of lire drop 
into the fea fucceffively, as he was approaching the window in 
a one-pair of Hairs room ; and very foon after, as he was. Hand- 
ing at it with his hands clafped, and extended open againft the 
middle of the frame, a moH violent flafli of fire forced his hands, 
afunder, and threw him feveral yards upon the floor on his 
back, with both his legs upright in the air, which remained! 
long fo fixed.. He was very fallible of his fituation all the time, 
but could not open his eyes or fpeak ; nor had he the leaH: 
power of motion of any of hi s limbs for a long tune.. On 
