68 



in a circuit tluough Kent, counted 17,000 trees uprooted, and 

 then left off, tired of reckoning, without having, as he believed, 

 noted one-half the quantity. In the same county 1,107 houses 

 and barns were destroyed. He speaks of " whole parks ruined, 

 fine walks defaced, and orchards laid flat," especially in the great 

 cyder-making counties of Devon, Worcester, Gloucester and 

 Hereford, where, for several miles together, there were very few 

 trees left. In some parts of the country so many trees were every- 

 where blowii across the roads as to render them for a time 

 impassable. 



Great also was the damage done to shipping. From the tem- 

 pestuous state of the weather for many days previous to the night 

 in which the storm rose to such a dreadful hurricane, a vast num- 

 ber of foreign vessels in addition to our own had collected for 

 safety in our ports, and the destruction would have been pro- 

 bably much greater but for this circumstance. Yet, notwithstanding, 

 the loss among them was very terrible. 



Sir Cloudesley Shovel had just arrived from the Mediterranean 

 with the Eoyal Navy. The Admiral and part of his ships 

 anchored at the Gun-Fleet and rode out the gale, " though in 

 great extremity, expecting death every minute." But of the 

 vessels lying in the Downs few escaped. " Three ships of 70 

 guns, one of 64, two of 56, one of 46, and several other smaller 

 vessels were totally destroyed, with a loss of 1,500 officers and 

 men." 



There was also a great destruction of property and loss of life 

 on the river Thames. The night was unusually dark, and a liigh 

 tide was up at the time when the storm blew with the greatest 

 violence. Above 500 watermen's wherries were lost, most being 

 not sunk only but dashed to pieces one against another, or 

 against the shores and sliips where they lay. Ship-boats were 

 driven about in every corner sunk and staved, and 300 of them 

 destroyed. Above 60 barges and lighters were driven foul of 

 the Bridge, and as many more were sunk or staved between the 



