2 99 ) 



ravaged thus by an inundation, is beautifully 

 defcribed by our great poet, 



-puflied by the horned flood, 



Of all it's verdure fpoiled, and trees adrift, 

 Down the great river to the opening gulph. 



On the coafts of Spain, and Portugal alfb, 

 drift-timber is frequently found. At the fiege 

 of Gibraltar, on the night of the 26th of 

 december 1779 (fays captain Drinkwater, in 

 his hiftory of that fiege) " we had a moft 

 violent rain, with dreadful thunder, and 

 lightening. The fucceeding morning a vaft 

 quantity of wood was floating under our walls. 

 The rain had wafhed it from the banks of the 

 Palmone, and Guardaranque ; and it was wafted 

 by the wind over to our fide of the bay. Fuel 

 had long been a fcarce article: this fupply was 

 therefore confidered as a miraculous inftance 

 of providence in our favour." In the Bail- 

 Indies we have accounts of the devaftation of 

 timber from the fame caufe; and likewife in 

 the ftreights of Magellan. This caufe how- 

 ever operates only on the banks of large rivers, 



or near the coafts of the fea*. 



But 



* See Crantz's hiftory of Greenland, v. i. p. 37. Evelin's 

 travels through Siberia, v. ii. p. 415. Millar's colle&ion of 



Ruffian 



