61 



clown without injury flat on the ground." It is also remarkable 

 that wliile in the eastern counties of England this gale was not 

 accomi^anied by a drop of rain, in the north-west of Scotland the 

 rainfall was very large, amounting at Portree, Skye, to nearly 

 five inches. At this last place the force of the wind and rain 

 together seems to have been tremendous, doing the most 

 lamentable damage. "Fields" are said to have been "left 

 unfitted for cultivation in all time to come ; or, along with bridges 

 and roads, swept into the sea. At Uig, the whole biuial gi'ound, 

 except six graves, was carried completely away ; coffins were put 

 ashore by the sea ten and twenty miles distant. The mansion 

 house, garden, and all the plantations were also swept away, 

 with the estate manager, who was the only one in the house at 

 the time ; not a vestige remains." 



Among the gales noted down in the " Lockey Registers" are 

 several that have occurred in Bath, but which appear to have 

 been less severely felt here than in Bristol, and in other parts of 

 Somerset. A reason may be suggested why as a rule we might 

 expect this to be the case Avith storms in this neighbourhood ; the 

 hills which surround Bath acting as a barrier to check their violence 

 below, and tending in some measure to divert them from the 

 course they would have othermse taken. A few instances in 

 point may be adduced, extracted from the above registers : — 



1866, Nov. 22.— Very disastrous gale (called a hirricane) especially 

 severe at Bristol, with great damage to the shipping in the 

 Channel. Less so at Bath. 



1863, Dec. 3.— Terrible storm throughout England ; raged especially 

 in the Bristol Channel, doing much damage to shipping, and 

 several vessels lost, — but not particularly severe in Bath. 



1861, Feb. 20,— Fearfully destructive storm in Bristol, doing an 

 immense deal of damage in that town and neighbourhood, but 

 its effects much less severe in Bath. This gale blew down the 

 spire of Chichester Cathedral, with its tower and supporting 

 arches. 



