134 



The following was the record of the storm in the Brighton Town- 

 book : — 



" Memorand.— November 27th, 1703, there was a very great and 

 remarkable tempest, which begun after midnight, and continued in its 

 violence till about eight in the morning, being Saturday. Many houses 

 in town were damnified, two windmills in the east blown over, several 

 of the church leads turned up, and several vessells belonging to the 

 town were shipwracked, to the great impoverishment of the place." 



The rain which accompanied the storm appeared to have been 

 very salt, as would be seen by the following description from the 

 Philosophical Transactions : — 



" Part of a letter from John Fuller, of Sussex, Esq., concerning 

 a strange effect of the late great storm in that County. 



' December 6, 1703. 



' We live Ten Miles off the Sea in a direct line, and yet can 

 scarce perswade the Country People that the Sea water was blown 

 thus far, or that during the Tempest the Rain was salt, for all the 

 Twiggs of the Trees the day after were white, and very salt, as I am 

 informed almost by every body, tho' I did not taste them enough 

 •myself, nor observe it, and that not only upon this Hill where we live 

 facing the Sea, but in all other places within 14 or 15 miles of the Sea, 

 as well as in the Valleys between which and the Sea are several very 

 high Hills, as on the Hills themselves.'" 



No doubt Mr. Fuller was unable to make the people believe that 

 the rain was not salt when they could taste it, and indeed salt rain was 

 not so very unusual, for it had been observed on several occasions. 

 Another account of this salt rain was also given in the Philosophical 

 Transactions, by a clergyman at Lewes :— 



''A Physician, travelling soon after the Storm to Ticehyrst, about 

 20 miles from Lewes, and as far from the Sea, as he rode he pluckt 

 some tops of Hedges, and chawing, found them Salt. Some Ladies of 

 Lewes hearing this tasted some Grapes that were still on the Vines, 

 and they also had the same relish. The Grass on the Downs in his 

 Parish was so Salt that the Sheep in the morning would not feed until 

 hunger compelled them, and afterwards drank like Fishes, as the 

 Shepherds report. This he attributes to Saline Particles driven from 

 the Sea." 



