C 1*9 ] 
XXII. An Account of cm uncommon Pheno- 
menon in Dorfetfhire : In a Letter fro?n 
John Stephens, M . A, to Emanuel Mendes 
da Cofta, F. R. S. 
SIR, ' 
Rea< | ^P nI 9 » S no effay, however imperfed, which 
jL a. fends to illustrate the operations of 
nature, can be unacceptable to the learned, I took 
the liberty to addrefs myfelf to you, in fetting forth 
the following Short, but juft account of a pheno- 
menon obferved in our own country, and, as far as I 
can recoiled, not hitherto defcribed. 
In the month of Auguft 1751, tire air having been 
for fome time remarkably hot and dry, was changed 
of a hidden by a heavy fall of rain, and a high fouth- 
weft wind ; the cliffs near Charmouth, in the weftern 
part of Dorfetfhire, prefently after this alteration of 
the atmolphere, began to fmoke, and foon after they 
burned, with a vifible though a fubtil flame, for Se- 
veral days fucceffively ; and continued to fmoke, and 
fometimes to burn, at intervals, till the approach of 
winter: nay, ever fince that time, efpecially after 
any great fall of rain, thunder and lightning, or a 
high fouth-weft wind (which drives the fea with 
great violence againft the cliffs, and beats oft' large 
pieces of them), the cliffs continue to fmoke, and 
fometimes to burn with a vifible flame- which, 
during the Summer months, is frequently obferved 
in the night-time. On examining thefe cliffs, in the 
year 1759, I difcovered a great quantity of pyrites, 
not 
