[ 232 ] 
before the Royal Society, if you think them de- 
ferving of their attention. 
S'ecple A ftiton, 
Aug. io, 1772. 
I am, 
Sir, 
Your obedient 
humble Servant, 
L. Eliot, Vicar of Steeple 
Afhton, in Wiltfhire. 
ON the 20th of June, 177?, between twelve 
and one o’clock in the afternoon, a violent ftorm 
of thunder and lightning happened at Steeple Alh- 
ton, in Wiltfhire. During the ftorm, a woman in 
the village law a large quantity of lightning come 
out of a cloud, part of which is fuppofed to have 
fallen on the top of the north chimney of the vD 
carage houfe, attradled probably by an iron hoop 
that went round the chimney, and by fome iron 
bars placed within it, that formerly made part of 
an apparatus to prevent its fmoking. That the 
lightning fell on thefe iron bars is very probable, 
becaufe the colour of two of them that were con^- 
tiguous was changed, nine or ten inches in length', 
to a dark blue, like that of a watch fpring, no un- 
common effe£t of electrical fire. 
In the north parlour, to which this chimney 
belonged, were the Reverend Mr. Wainhoufe, of 
Steeple Afhton, and the R.everend Mr. Pitcairn, 
of Trowbridge, the former Handing, and the lat- 
ter 
7 
