OF CORNWALL. 13 
On the 20th of December 1752, about eight in the morning, 
the fky was on a fudden overcaft with dark-red angry clouds ; the 
wind very boifterous ; at intervals a blue fky, then large clouds with 
cold diowers : about a quarter before twelve neither rain nor wind, 
butfunfhine; forne flying thin clouds were obferved to join, and one 
of the mofl Flocking peals of Thunder enfued. The Lightning fell 
wnh greatefl violence upon a hill called Moelfra, in the pariFi of Mad- 
ern, where it pierced banks like a dart, furrowed the ground as if it 
• at hf. Cn a pk )U gh-lhare, cut off flat turves, burft rocks, fplit them 
into Fiivers, fell on fonie particular ipots of the rocks, and fplintered 
t lem as if mufket balls: it rooted up fome ftones, and made its way 
clear under others, lhewing the traces of its paflage on both Fdes. 
? he ' v . a ? lc workings of the Lightning in this hill (than which there 
is no higher land betwixt the North and South Sea) were in length 
a out a furlong from EaF to Weft ; and there was a fmoke feen in 
V 1S 01 die kill} as ^ feveral Mufkets had been difcharged : at 
the Thunder, the Fieep difperfed and ran to and fro, as if purfued 
. - V a P ac oi Fogs. At Trythal, a village without tree or hill near 
it, about a mile and half South Weft of Moelfra, this clap of Thunder 
was fo violent that nothing was remembered equal to it ; but the 
effects of what followed in a few minutes were Fill more dreadful, 
an ,° r V n mod: deplorable kind. (t Thomas Olivey 2 , a farmer of 
good fubftance and repute, was returned from the Feld about a 
a , qu^ter before noon, and had all his family round him in the kit- 
cnen, except his daughter, who was in the hall. There was a brafs 
P , an ? vei t e re ^ n t ^ ie kitchen chimney nearly full of boiling water; 
the farmer was fitting by the Fre, his wife on a bench before it, 
* 1Ur on lon , 23 years of age, was ftanding at the window; the 
farmer finding the Thunder and Lightning before-mentioned fo 
1 ° back-door of his kitchen, facing the North, qui- 
vered, ca led to his fon, and defired him not to ftand fo near the 
° W ’ ea tie Lightning Fiould hurt his Eyes, upon which the 
y g man removed from the window backwards into the corner of 
' m r n ; kf nd fat down > as he thought, in a place of greater fecu- 
A f e a PP rent ^ ce koy laughing at him, was chid by his 
mafter, and, luckily for him, fent out of the room to take care of 
fomethmg without doors. Immediately the Lightning came from 
the W. N. W and falling upon the ftack of the kitchen chimney, 
hrch was about four foot fquare, and as much in height, of 
11 , 0 ^ e ’ carne d k c Lar off from the houfe, and threw it into 
therp^ ° W f te y 2 °, r eet d ^ant. In the chamber over the kitchen 
as a ittle clofet boarded in, which Food juft under the top 
Tran factions 0 f the^ear”^^^ 1 ^ tcfore the ^°y al Society by the author, and are publifhed in the 
E of 
