50 Faraday, Correspondence of Lie2it.-Col. PJiilips. 



full in the face, and if I cou'd procure a sleeping dose that would last until 

 next Summer, I think it wou'd be the best mode of passing the ensuing 

 months. I detest Salt Meat, & yet I have this day bought a Quarter of Beef, 

 to salt down for food after Christmas, without which I know not, seriously, 

 how we shou'd live for I dare say we shall not be able to procure either 

 Beef or Mutton after that season. You see that scarcity is not confin'd to 

 your Neighbourhood ; we have plenty of it here. 



What you say about W. is, I believe, partly true. I mean that he is 

 dead ; but I fancy the mode was not as you have been inform'd. He was 

 very ill when he left this place, cfe was going to Bath, or Bristol, attended 

 by his Wife for the recovery of his health, but was arrested by the Grim 

 Tyrant in his passage at Knutsford. Still there are many people here who 

 will not believe that he is dead. They say that he has played this trick 

 several times before in order to elude his creditors, and that he is playing 

 the same game over again. At the worst, if he is gone, the world will con- 

 tinue to do special well without him. 



I have had the Devil to do since I wrote to you last. No less than 

 Bullets, Powder, & Pistols. A Scoundrel was instigated by another greater 

 Scoundrel to attack me one Night, on my returning home, with a large 

 Bludgeon, & used me like a Ruffian. As there is no chance of Justice or 

 Satisfaction in this Country, I had no other course but to call him out. He 

 came attended by his second, but such was their eagerness for fighting I 

 .suppose that they loaded their Pistols with the Bullets which I lent them, 

 for they had forgot to bring any along with them, and in their hurry forgot to 

 put Powder into the Barrils ; or at least put the Bullets in before the Powder. 

 The consequence was they burnt priming. T. M. was my antagonist & he 

 was urged on Vjy Speed who is too thoroughpaced a Coward to meet any 

 Man in this way. 



In a letter dated July 20th, 1801, Cable says : — 



The Herrings have made their appearance this Year much earlier than 

 usual, & the energies of the Manx men have been called forth and exercised 

 in a most surprising manner. For this week or ten days past my senses have 

 been constantly assailed by Herrings, and even at this present moment while 

 I am writing the smell of them is rather too strong to be pleasant. It is 

 really surprising to see the immense quantities of them that have been taken. 

 Eighty, ninety, & even an hundred stones in a Boat ; Sz those, by far, 

 the finest fish I ever saw. They have been sold at Peel, where the chief 

 Fishing is at present, so low as eightpence a hundred ; this, together with an 

 abundant supply of Potatoes, has caus'd an appearance, & indeed it is more 

 than an appearance, it is in reality Plenty. I wish you cou'd contrive to 

 come over k, see a land of Plenty again. It is long since you saw such a 

 sight. Quite a novel thing. As soon as the Red Herrings are cured I will 

 take care to send you half a dozen kitts of them, and if you will let me know 

 what quantity you shall want I will endeavour to engage them on the 

 best terms I can. 



