366 On the Saline Impregnation 
the wind, and though guarded from the rain 
by a kind of shelf or pent-house over them, 
were yet so covered with the particles of the 
water which the whirlwind cast against them, 
that in less than haif an hour they were de- 
prived of most of their transparency. Sup- 
posing this might be the sea-water which the 
storm had not only dashed against our win- 
dows, but spread also over the whole country, 
I viewed the particles with my microscope, 
and found they had the figure of our common 
salt, but very small, because the water was 
little from whence those small particles pro- 
ceeded ; and where the water had lain very 
thin upon the glass, there were indeed a great 
number of salt particles, but so exceedingly 
fine that they almost escaped the sight through 
a very good microscope. 
But as to the upper windows, where the 
rain had beat against them and washed them, 
there was little or no salt to be found sticking 
upon them.’’* 
* The storm above described appears to have been the most violent 
and destructive perhaps of any during the last century. There was a 
pamphlet published on the occasion, by some one of talent and obser- 
vation. (See copious extracts from the same. in Howard’s Meteorology, 
Vol. 2. page 311.) It was calculated that 25 parks lost 1000 trees 
each, and the New Forest, Hants, above 4000. Seven steeples, above 
400 windmills, and- 800 dwelling-houses, were blown down in England 
and Wales, About 120 persons lost their lives, amongst whom were 
the Bishop of Bath and Wells, andhis Lady. It was on that memo- 
