change
Perplexes monarchs."

REV. GILBERT WHITE.

* * * * *

A THUNDERSTORM.

On the 5th of June, 1784, the thermometer in the morning being at 64,
and at noon at 70, the barometer at 29.6 1/2, and the wind north, I
observed a blue mist, smelling strongly of sulphur, hang 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 farm 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
hundredweight. Those that saw the effect which the great hail had on the
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,