We are very seldom annoyed with thunderstorms: and it is no less
remarkable than true, that those which arise in the south have hardly
been known to reach this village; for, before they get over us, they take
a direction to the east or to the west, or sometimes divide in two, go in
part to one of those quarters, and in part to the other; as was truly the
case in summer 1783, when, though the country round was continually
harassed with tempests, and often from the south, yet we escaped them
all, as appears by my journal of that summer. The only way that I can at
all account for this fact--for such it is--is that, on that quarter,
between us and the sea, there are continual mountains, hill behind hill,
such as Nore-hill, the Barnet, Butser-hill, and Ports-down, which somehow
divert the storms, and give them a different direction. High
promontories, and elevated grounds, have always been observed to attract
clouds and disarm them of their mischievous contents, which are
discharged into the trees and summits as soon as they come in contact
with those turbulent meteors; while the humble vales escape because they
are so far beneath them.
But, when I say I do not remember a thunderstorm from the south, I do not
mean that we never have suffered from thunderstorms at all; for on June
5th, 1784, the thermometer in the morning being at 64 degrees, and at
noon at 70 degrees the barometer at 29.6.5 degrees and the wind north, I
observed a blue mist, smelling strongly of sulphur, hanging along our
sloping woods, and seeming to indicate that thunder was at hand. I was
called in about two in the afternoon, and so missed seeing the gathering
of the clouds in the north; which they who were abroad assured me had
something uncommon in its 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
neighbourhood. 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 neighbours' 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 clattering 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 lane towards Alton was so torn and disordered as not
to be passable till mended, rocks being removed that weighed two hundred-
weight. Those that saw the effect which the great hail had on ponds and
pools say that the dashing 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.
When I first took the present work in hand I proposed to have added an
"_Annus Historico-naturalis_, or The Natural History of the Twelve Months
of the Year;" which would have comprised many incidents and occurrences
that have not fallen in my way to be mentioned in my series of letters;
but, as Mr. Aikin of Warrington has lately published somewhat of this
sort, and as the length of my correspondence has sufficiently put your
patience to the test, I shall here take a respectful leave of you and
natural history together, and am,
With all due deference and regard,
Your most obliged and most humble servant,