An Anglers Paradise. 27 
there were, as might have been expected, sundry little bits of 
adventure, which rather ‘‘added a spice to the cake” than other- 
wise. Perhaps the most remarkable was an occurrence that took 
place on the night of December 11th, 1883, when a terrific gale, 
of greater force than I ever experienced, burst upon us. 
Soon after midnight the storm began to reach its height, and 
at one o’clock in the morning the thick plate-glass of a large 
window was blown in, the frame being left intact—a few pieces 
of broken glass still remaining in it, whilst the rest was scattered 
_ over the room, a considerable quantity being found in the 
fire-place. Hastily calling an assistant, who was soon on the spot, 
we set to work to block up the broken window, in order to 
prevent the wind from getting into the house and doing further 
damage. 
I remembered a wooden platform that had recently come 
back from the International Fisheries Exhibition at South 
Kensington, and we ran to the place where it was lying along 
with some large cases of hatching apparatus, models, etc., still 
unpacked, but were met by one of the cases which came careering 
through the air, passing us within a few feet. The other cases 
had already gone, and the platform would soon have followed had 
we not secured it. As it was we had not much difficulty in 
getting it carried to the window, for we had almost a fair wind, 
and by steering a little we kept a good course, the only thing 
needful being to let go just at the right point. To have taken it 
back would have been impossible for six men. It was speedily 
fastened up and blocked the aperture safely. 
The wind at this time (about 1-30 a.m.) was terrific. I have 
been in gales both on sea and land, but never witnessed anything 
approaching this. Every now and again there was a complete 
lull, and we could hear the wind sweeping down the pine woods 
in the distance, with a roar as of a mighty flood, and as it struck 
the house the noise was as if some huge battering ram had been 
brought to bear upon it. Large timber trees were uprooted 
wholesale, or snapped asunder, and daylight revealed the awful 
destruction that had been going on in the woods around, many 
thousands of large timber trees being blown down. Many of the 
woods were lying quite flat, the trees torn up by the roots, as if 
