64 Mr W. M. Rica's account of an ancient Vessel 



sels of burden ; and liigher up, the river was so choked and 

 contracted, that the waters could not find sufficient passage in 

 it, and by documents in the possession of Mr Dawes of Rye, 

 one of the commissioners of the levels (to whom I am very 

 much indebted for civility, and for the assistance afforded me 

 in pursuing this inquiry,) I find that in 1623 a complete stop 

 to the navigation of the Appledore channel was made at Thor- 

 ney-wall, which is pointed out on the map which accompanies 

 this letter. 



It appears, moreover, that that stop has never been removed 

 for the purposes of navigation, since lightermen were allowed 

 a tonnage for carrying goods over the stop; a sluice was 

 afterwards formed at Thorney-wall, simply for sewing the ad- 

 jacent lands. In May 1635 the navigation higher up the 

 Rother was very much impaired by a former breach made in 

 Spits-wall and Knolls-dam (which is some distance above Ma- 

 tham-Wharf,) being then as low as the bottom of the channel, 

 which made the waters of the upper levels forsake that part 

 of the Rother where the vessel has been found, turning them 

 through Wittersham-level. It was now feared there would be 

 no navigation at all between Appledore and Eodiam, and three 

 pens were in consequence put down in the cuts at Spit's-wall, so 

 that the waters might again be turned into their old tract, and 

 discharge themselves as before at the sluice at Appledore ; but 

 in October 1635 these pens were taken up, that the waters of 

 the Rother might have a free run into Wittersham-level ; and 

 in July 1636 the turning of the river through this level was 

 completely effected ; since which time there has been no navi- 

 gation between Knolls-dam and Matham-wharf, which limits 

 include the vessel, and the channel has been used only as a 

 sewer for the lands in East Matham-level. And it is further 

 stated, that at the commencement of the works connected with 

 the new channel, " the former navigation upon the Rother 

 was daily decaying ; so much so, that, had not the works in 

 Wittersham-level been undertaken and perfected, the naviga- 

 tion upon the Rother had before that time (July 1636) been 



lost;' 



To recover, however, a navigable stream from Thorney- 

 wall to Small-hythe, a dam was laid down at the latter place. 



