250 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 
appearance. At about a quarter after two the storm began in 
the parish of Hartley, moving slowly from north to south; and 
from thence it came over Norton Farm, and so to Grange 
Farm, both in this parish. It began with vast drops of rain, 
which were soon succeeded by round hail, and then by convex 
pieces of ice, which measured three inches in girth. Had it 
been as extensive as it was violent, and of any continuance 
(for it was very short), it must have ravaged all the neigh- 
borhood. In the parish of Hartley it did some,damage to one 
farm ; but Norton, which lay in the centre of the storm, was 
greatly injured ; as was Grange, which lay next to it. It did 
but just reach to the middle of the village, where the hail 
broke my north windows, and all my garden-lights and hand- 
glasses, and many of my neighbors’ windows. ‘The extent of 
the storm was about two miles in length and one in breadth. 
We were just sitting down to dinner; but were soon diverted 
from our repast by the clatter of tiles and the jingling of glass. 
There fell at the same time prodigious torrents of rain on the 
farms above mentioned, which occasioned a flood as violent as 
it was sudden; doing great damage to the meadows and 
fallows, by deluging the one and washing away the soil of the 
other. The hollow land towards Alton was so torn and dis- 
ordered as not to be passable till mended, rocks being removed 
that weighed two hundredweight. Those that saw the effect 
which the great hail had on ponds and pools say that the dash- 
ing of the water made an extraordinary appearance, the froth 
and spray standing up in the air three feet above the surface. 
The rushing and roaring of the hail, as it approached, was 
truly tremendous. 
Though the clouds at South Lambeth, near London, were at 
that juncture thin and light, and no storm was in sight, nor 
within hearing, yet the air was strongly electric; for the bells 
of an electric machine at that place rang repeatedly, and fierce 
sparks were discharged. 
