C I0 9 ] 
fired gunpowder. A boy, about ten years- old, ion 
to the under-tenant, was alfo (truck down, as he was 
(tanding at the door, but not hurt. The father and 
his daughter felt no ill effedts ; but faw the lightning 
roll on the floor, and thought the room was on fire. 
XV. An Account of the Peat-pit near New- 
bury in Berkihire ; in an ExtraEl of a 
Letter from John Collet, M. D. to the 
Right Reverend Richard Lord Bifop of 
Oflory, Z 7 . R. S. 
.Read Feb. 
1 757 - 
fc N 
My Lord, Newbury, Decemb. 2, 175.6. 
O W I am mentioning the peat, 
leave to a flu-re your Lord- 
I 
beg 
(hip, that tho’ fiome perfons have aflerted, that after 
the peat has been cut out, it grows again after fome 
years ; yet this is not true of the peat found here, 
none of the peat- pits, which were formerly dug out, 
and have lately been opened again, affording the lead 
reafon to juflify fuch an opinion ; but, on the con- 
trary, the marks of the long fpade (with which they 
cut out the peat) are ftill plainly viflble all along the 
lides of the pits, quite down to the bottom ; and are 
now as frefh as if made but yefferday, tho’ cut above 
fifty years ago : which (hews aifo, that our peat is 
of too firm a texture to be preffed together, and to 
give way, fo as to fill- again the empty pits : which 
perhaps may be the cafe in fome of the moffes, 
where the pits are found after fome years to be 
filled up again. The 
