286 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



the inhabitants was most distress- 

 ing. 



What was a very extraordinary 

 thing, the tide, when it had flowed 

 to its highest, did not perceptibly 

 subside for more than an hour. To 

 those who had any knowledge of 

 the way in which such an effect 

 could be produced, this was a sure 

 prognostication of an extensiveca- 

 lamity ; to them it was clear that 

 the sea-banks had broken, or were 

 overflowed ; and fortunately for 

 the town of Boston (but most mi- 

 serably unfortunate for the sur- 

 rounding country) was it that this 

 thing happened ; for had not this 

 tide fiuund another and less strait- 

 ened course, but flowed till it had 

 spent itself in its accustomed 

 channel, it would have risen in all 

 probability even some feet higher 

 than it did in the town, and have 

 swept almost every thing before 

 it. As it happened, the town 

 was saved, and the neighbouring 

 country deluged. Friskney new 

 sea-bank is broken by the tide in 

 two or three places ; Liverton 

 new sea-bank the same ; of Fries- 

 ton new bank scarcely a vestige 

 is left ; the old bank also in that 

 parish is broken in many places ; 

 as is Boston east old bank, and 

 the banks at Skibock Quarter, 

 Wyborton, Fiampton, and Foss- 

 dyke. It may be well to observe, 

 that the nevvbanks are those lately 

 made on the inclosure of the 

 marshes from the sea, but are not 

 relied upon for the defence of the 

 country at large. The old sea- 

 banks, unhappily for the country, 

 have proved insufficient in height, 

 as the surge passed over them al- 

 most along the whole line; and 

 this was the cause of the breaches, 

 the overflow having first scoured 

 away the banks, from the summit 



to the base, on the land side. The 

 situation of the country, in conse- 

 quence, from Wainfleet almost to 

 Spalding, a distance of thirty 

 miles, is such as exceeds our pow- 

 ers of description. The intelli- 

 gence of distress which we have 

 for two days hourly had brought 

 into us, amazes, and almost in- 

 capacitates us from our duty of 

 relating what we hear. 



The calamity has been naturallj' 

 more severe in the low districts of 

 this country, which, with difficul- 

 13% find an outfall for their drain- 

 age ; and the tide having once 

 broken into them, pursues its 

 course irresistibly for miles. All 

 the fine pastures, the pride of this 

 neighbourhood, have in one night 

 been laid under water; and some 

 thousands of sheep and other 

 cattle have been drowned. The 

 ruin came so rapidly and unex- 

 pectedly, that the farmers had no 

 time to save their cattle, had the 

 tiling been practicable ; but in 

 some instances the inhabitants of 

 farm-houses have had difficulty 

 in saving their own lives; and 

 one instance is mentioned to us, 

 in which two persons at Fossdyke 

 perished by the flood, which com- 

 pletely swept away their dwelling- 

 house. 



At Fishtoft, Mr. Smith Sessop 

 (formerly in trade as a grocer at 

 Boston) lost his life in endeavour- 

 ing to rescue some of his father's 

 sheep. — On Saturday night, old 

 Mr. Sessop, accidentally looking 

 out of his house and mistaking the 

 approaching deluge for a fall of 

 snow upon the ground, exclaimed 

 to hisson that care should be taken 

 of some sheep on his pastures. 

 The deceased immediately went 

 forth, and before he recovered 

 from the astonishment excited by 



