RISING OF THE WATER. 77 
people would have fancied, nevertheless, that 
it was in reality higher than usual, as he sup- 
posed they had fancied it to be on former oc¬ 
casions. He was induced to form this opi¬ 
nion, he said, from the following circumstance: 
When the lake had risen to such an unusual 
height in the year 1795, he examined several 
of the oldest people on the subject, and ques¬ 
tioned them particularly as to the comparative 
height of the waters on this and former occa¬ 
sions. They all declared that the waters were 
not higher than they usually were at the time 
o f their periodical rising; and they affirmed, 
that they had themselves seen them equally 
high before. Now a grove of trees, which 
stood adjoining to this gentleman's garden, and 
must at least have been of thirty years growth, 
was entirely destroyed this year by the waters 
of the lake, that flowed amongst the trees; 
had the lake, therefore, ever risen so high 
before, this grove would have been then 
destroyed. This circumstance certainly mili¬ 
tated strongly against the evidence which the 
people gave as to the height of the waters ; 
but it only proved that the waters had risen 
on this occasion higher than they had done for 
thirty years preceding; it did not prove that 
they had not, during that term, risen periodi¬ 
cally above their ordinary level. 
