212 KENTISH BOTANY. [July , 



the river Stour will reach the chalk -abound eastern side of Pegwell 

 Bay, and the mouth of Sandwich Haven will be removed several 

 miles further from the town. 



Many years ago, — nearly half a century, — the writer of the 

 above remarks was informed that the river Cowie in Kincardine- 

 shire, which flows into the bay of Stonehaven by a channel which 

 is, for about a mile, parallel with the sea-line (the river is on one 

 side of a shingly beach and the sea is on the other), flowed 

 straight to the ocean from the mill and. bridge, which are both at 

 the east entrance to the town. This account, now a tradition, is 

 confirmed by a very excellent map of the above-named county, 

 made from a survey completed in 1774. In this map the two 

 rivers which flow into this bay, are represented as at least a 

 mile or two apart, whereas in 1820, and probably still, the rivers 

 Cowie, on the east, and Carron, on the west, were only a few 

 yards distant where they entered the sea, in fact, no more than 

 the breadth of the jetty or landing-place of the harbour. What 

 took place within the memory of living witnesses, may have 

 taken place in times long past, although the testimony of the 

 occurrence is but traditionary. 



When we reached the old haven of Sandwich, our thoughts 

 M'cre not engaged on any such physical speculations ; for we had 

 never previously seen so many and so fine examples of Ranuncu- 

 lus Lingua, and consequently our delight and admiration were 

 fixed on the present gratifying show of fine and rare plants, and 

 there were no regrets expressed at the departed glory of Sandwich 

 and its once busy haven : we only regretted that we were not here 

 a few weeks earlier in the season. And we were not sorry that 

 we were not here, and spectators of the desperate sea-fight fought 

 in this roadstead in 1046, when " Lothen and Irling came with 

 twenty-five ships to Sandwich, and there took unspeakable booty 

 in men, in gold, and in silver, so that no man knew how much it 

 all was.^' 



Sandwich and its haven have doubtless a history worth relating 

 if the materials be forthcoming. Its name frequently occurs in 

 the Saxon Chronicle, and it was the scene of many battles. As 

 early as 851, King Athelstan fought on shipboard and slew a 

 great number of the enemy (the Danes), took nine ships, and put 

 the others to flight. We are content to be the chroniclers of 

 humbler objects, and relate that the great and lesser Spearwort, 



