[ 39 ] 
beam into the kitchen, towards the weft end of a 
pewter- fhelf ; traverfed the whole fhelf to the eaft, 
and melted fuperficially to the breadth of a fhilling 
lix pewter difhes, two plates, and a pewter bafon, all 
Handing touching one another : two of the difhes 
were thrown down, the reft not difplaced. Under 
this, a narrower fhelf of pewter plates untouched. 
In its defcent to the floor, knocked down, as fhe 
expreftes it, an ancient woman fitting in the paftage 
weft ward of the fhelves ; who being prefently taken 
up, her fhoulders and back were found to be fcorched 
all over, with the hind part of her left leg : the fkin 
almoft univerfally red and inflamed, rimpled in two or 
three places, but not broken : her (hi ft burnt brown, 
flocking finged, with its colour of the infide dif- 
charged, and the outftde unchanged : right foot very 
painful and bruifed, with that (hoe ftruck off, and 
its upper-leather torn : her gown and other cloaths 
without any damage. It pafted through the fame 
paftage without injuring another old woman fitting 
knee to knee with her companion ; but keeping its 
direction to the north-eaft, turned on a right angle 
upon the outer door, fplit it, and pafted through into 
the open air. On a right line with this paftage to 
the weft, and under the fame roof is the wafh-houfe, 
where flood the mafter and his man. They faw the 
woman tumble down, and heard fuch a violent ex- 
plofion, that made them both think the whole houfe 
muft come down : and the man fays, with fuch a 
blaze, as if all was on fire ; but that was hut for a 
moment. To the eaft of the pewter fhelves, and 
under that part of the roof where it entered, it rufhed 
into the kitchen clofet, by tearing off a wooden but- 
ton 
7 
