240 LETTER IX. 



Augujl^ and September^ we had feveral oiitragioii9 

 Storms, which would have greatly furprized me, 

 had I not beforehand been well informed of 

 their Symptoms, Fury, and Effeds. Particularly 

 about the middle of September^ 171 8, the Sun 

 upon his Meridian at high Noon, began to hide his 

 bright Face behind a Cloud, and the Skye that 

 was clear and ferene enough before, to lower 

 and blacken apace ; now and then fell fome large 

 Drops of Rain, attended with fudden unexpected 

 Puffs or Blafts of Wind : upon which we ime- 

 diately houfed our Turkies, Geefe, and Ducks, 

 as well as Cocks and Hens, that muft all have 

 periihed, if we had left them expofed to the fe- 

 verities of fuch a Tempeft. Nay, we fecured 

 in Folds with Stone Walls our Sheep, Mill- 

 Horfes and Mules. At three o' clock the Win- 

 dows or Flood-gates of Heaven were opened fb 

 wide, as to pour down great abundance of Rain, 

 which together with the hieh Wind that now 

 fhifted round by degrees to every Point of the 

 Compafs, obliged us, to fecure our Windows 

 and Doors, to drefs what Vid:uals we jQiould 

 have occafion for that day, to turn our Horfes 

 out of the Stable, to fhift as well as they could 

 among the young Sugar Canes in the Bath Plain : 

 nailing up the Door with Boards put acrofs it, 

 and in iliort, to fecure every thing elfe as much 

 as poffible againft its rage. I obferved, that tho" 



it 



