Ixviii. CHESIL BEACH AND FLEET MEETING. 



Mr. GEOEGE said that the Fleet was eight miles long, five-eighths of a mile 

 wide at its widest part, by Fleet old Church, and at its narrowest, near Wyke 

 Kegis, only about a hundred yards in width. That narrow part continued about 

 half-a-mile, and by the Ferry Bridge it was a narrow neck. At the boathouse 

 the width of the water was 250 yards. The bottom was mostly of mud, and on 

 the average there would be about three feet of it. There were also gravel, rock, 

 and stones. The whole of the Fleet water was salt. The amount of fresh water 

 flowing in from Eodden brook and a little stream by Fleet House was so small 

 that it had scarcely any appreciable effect in reducing the brininess. He was 

 approached not very long ago with a proposal for enclosing certain portions of the 

 Fleet with a view to obtaining gold. He had not known or imagined before that 

 the Fleet water was a gold mine (laughter) but it seemed that there were 

 works near Hayling Island, worked on the principle of enclosure and deposit. 

 So far nothing had come of the proposal. The greatest rise of tide about that 

 part would be from six inches to four feet, just at the boathouse. In rough 

 weather the sea flew over the top of the Chesil Beach in big showers, and one 

 could see the spray falling into the Fleet water. It was, he believed, an 

 established fact that the sea at high tide in rough weather came through the 

 beach and largely affected the tide. It percolated through the beach and raised 

 the tide' to the extent of a foot or two feet more than the average. In the 

 memorable gale of 1824 the tides were so high whether it was a tidal wave or 

 not he did not know that it actually rose to old Fleet Church, although it was 

 about 20 feet above the level of the Fleet water, and partially destroyed the 

 church and several cottages. The nave was swept entirely away and only the 

 chancel left standing. Locally it was always called, not the great storm of 1824, 

 but the " outrage " certainly an expressive term. One old man who died 

 recently told him that he escaped from his cottage with the greatest difficulty. 

 The water was very shallow. The bottom was almost flat ; but there were a few 

 holes, some 12 or 15 feet deep. Eels were very abundant in the Fleet water, and 

 also occasionally gray mullet. A few years ago some oyster beds were started at 

 the entrance by Lord Uchester ; but he did not think that they were now much 

 used. Even in that water, in rough weather and high tides, boats found great 

 difficulty in getting across the Fleet, especially the flat-bottomed boats. He had 

 known cases in which they had to bale as hard as they could to keep afloat and 

 to get across. As to the height of the tides, they got a week of low tide and a 

 week of high tide, according to the state of the moon. In a great frost, when 

 the ice broke up, the weed that stuck to it was carried out, leaving the bottom 

 bare. The question was raised whether it would be possible to have a ridge of 

 stones or a breakwater across the Fleet so as to prevent the water going out when 

 it came in. The weed grew again, and he took it that to a great extent it 

 impeded the movement of the tide, and tended to retain the water. The Fleet 

 water in that part was to his mind absolutely safe for boating ; but at the lower 

 part, owing to the curious holes and currents, it was none too safe, at any rate 

 for cliildren. The tide rose in the Fleet when the sea in the Channel was falling, 



