CHRONICLE. 



287 



the scene, walked through the 

 water, in his way to the sheep into 

 a pit, where he was drowned be- 

 fore any assistance could be ren- 

 dered. 



Piunimer's-hotel at Frieston 

 sliore was some hours in clanger 

 of being quite washed down ; the 

 great bow window of the diniiig- 

 room, although a considerable 

 height from the ground, was forc- 

 ed from llie building by the water, 

 and carried to the distance of 

 several fields. 



Some few farmers are said to 

 have lost nearly all the stock upon 

 their lands. Great difficulty will 

 be experienced in supporting such 

 cattle as may not have perished on 

 the inundated farms, all the ditches 

 ponds, and wells, in many parishes 

 being filled with salt-water, which 

 it will take some time to get rid of. 

 The appearance of the country 

 from the top of Boston steeple is 

 melancholy in the extreme. At 

 tlie seventh mile-stone towards 

 Spalding the water runs over the 

 road, and the country looks like a 

 sea. From the hour of three, on 

 Friday morning last, till five, it 

 lightened as vividly and repeatedly, 

 as is common in tlie season when 

 wemost look for such phcenomena. 



On the 10th a very heavy rain 

 commenced in the neighbourhood 

 ofExeler, which continued without 

 intermission until ten o'clock the 

 succeeding night, accompanied by 

 a strong gale of wind : tlie waters 

 rose so rapidly that all the low 

 grounds were presently deluged. 

 The flood was three inches higher 

 on the Exeter quay than ever 

 known before. Three vessels of 

 large burthen were thrown com- 

 pletely on the quay, and with 

 much trouble and danger launched 



into the river a day afterwords ; 

 many walls were entirely thrown 

 down or carried away, and several 

 out-houses totally destroyed. The 

 Monmouthshire regiment of mi- 

 litia, in comingfromHoniton, were 

 under the necessity of wading 

 through the water. 



The Clarence coach from Ply- 

 mouth was entirely stopped on 

 this side of Alphington, about half 

 a mile from Exeter. There were 

 five gentlemen inside, three men 

 and the coachman on the outside. 

 This coach was drawn by six 

 horses, with a post-boy; the waters 

 being higher than the horses, they 

 all swam with the coach against a 

 strong current ; but the postillion, 

 losing his seat, clambered up a 

 hedge. The two leading horses 

 immediately began to turn, which 

 thecoachman perceiving, descend- 

 ed from his seat, and cut off the 

 harness, being up to his chin in the 

 water : four of the horses swam oft', 

 but the other two were drowned. 

 Six passengers, after struggling 

 with the water, got on a hedge, 

 and from thence reached a neigh- 

 bouring house, the inhabitants of 

 which immediately gave the dis- 

 tressed travellersanassylum for the 

 night. Another passenger, a stout 

 black man, taking a different course, 

 remained under a high hedge nine 

 or ten hours, till he was released 

 the. next morning. The empty 

 coach was carried back a consider- 

 able distance by the stream, and 

 stuck in a hedge. 



At Dawlish, nine or ten new 

 houses with their furniture were 

 nearly demolished, and one swept 

 into the sea : the water coming 

 down the hills, burst forth with 

 such force that nothing could with- 

 stand its fury. Mr. Tapper of 



