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AN ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT STORM, IN WHICH THIRTEEN MEN-OF-WAR OF THE ROYAL NAVY WERE LOST IN THE DOWNS, OR ON THE GOODWIN.

1703, Nov. 27.-This awful gale of wind, which occurred on this day, is supposed to have been one of the most violent tempests recorded in history since the Deluge. It had blown hard for about a fortnight previous to the day above mentioned, day by day increasing in fury, until Wednesday, the 24th, when it became a hurricane. The next day and night it continued with unabated violence, but on the Friday morning it had increased to such a degree, that few people had courage to venture out of doors. As the night came on, the wind seemed to increase, and continued doing so till about six o'clock on the Saturday morning, when, if it had at all exceeded, nothing could possibly have withstood its power. Many other places beside Deal suffered from its effects, and the damage sustained by it has been recorded. "Horror and confusion," says one writer, seized upon all, whether on land or at sea. No person can describe it, no thought conceive it, and only those exposed to the extremity of it, can adequately comprehend its ravages. To venture abroad was to rush into instant death, and remaining under one's roof afforded no prospect than that of being buried under the ruins of a falling habitation. Dr. Kidder, the Bishop of Bath and Wells, with his wife, were of this number. In sundry parts of England about one hundred and twenty three lives were lost; but the number of those who were drowned by the flood, and of the rivers overflowering their banks, of those lost on the coast of Holland, and in ships blown away, and never heard of afterwards, is thought to have been not less than ten thousand. Above eight hundred dwelling-houses were laid in ruins, the inmates scarcely saving themselves alive, and few dwellings escaped from being unroofed. Two thousand stacks of

chimnies were said to have been blown down in and about London. One hundred churches suffered considerably-the lead covering rolled up and hurled to distances almost incredible; corn and hay stacks innumerable were scattered and dispersed as chaff before the wind; multitudes of cattle were lost, and in one grazing district alone fifteen thousand sheep were drowned. As to trees torn up by the roots, the writer referred to says he himself reckoned seventeen thousand of this description in Kent alone. He became so tired in numbering them, that he left off further reckoning. In short, it was computed that the damage done exceeded, in money value, that of the great fire in London, which was estimated at Four Millions sterling.

By this storm all sorts of people were effected-every family more or less had lost something. The shipping in the Downs suffered considerably; of the Royal Navy, no fewer than thirteen men-of-war were lost-either foundered riding at anchor, or by being stranded on the Goodwin Sands. Among the number were the "Restoration," the "Northumberland," and the " Sterling Castle," (third rates); the "Mary," (fourth rate), with the" Mortar Bumb," were lost on the Goodwin with the greater part of their crews-seventy being only saved from the "Sterling Castle," and one from the "Mary." Rear Admiral Basil Beaumont perished in the "Mary;" he was the fifth son of Sir Henry Beaumont, of Stoughton, in Leicestershire, born 1669, and was an admiral before he had attained the age of 32 years. Eddystone Light house was destroyed, and in it Mr. Winstanley, the ingenious contriver of it, and the people that were with him.-Great numbers of merchant ships were cast away, cast away, and above five hundred wherries, besides lighters and barges on the River Thames.

Above two hundred men cast away upon the Goodwin Sands were saved, when at the period of being lost, by the humane and spirited exertions of Mr. Thomas Powell, of Deal,

a Jurat of that town, and also the Mayor of Deal that year. This singular compassion and generosity of this worthy man, and of his deeds, it were to be wished might never be forgotten.

LIBEL ON THE DEAL BOATMEN.

1705.—A certain publisher and bookseller in London having thought fit to print and circulate a defamatory lible on the inhabitants of Deal, it was ordered, June 21st, 1705,"That a suitable letter be forthwith sent to him, demanding the name of the author; the same to be signed by the Mayor and Jurats of the Borough."

The following is a copy of the letter:

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Whereas, there has been this day produced to us a book called the "Storm," printed in London in the year 1704, for G. Sawbridge, in Little Britain, and sold by J. Nutt, near Stationer's Hall, pretending to give an account of some particular accidents that happened thereby. We find, amongst other things, several scandalous and false reflections unjustly cast upon the inhabitants of the Town and Borough of Deal, with malicious intent to bring a disreputation upon the people thereof, and to create a misunderstanding between Her Majesty's subjects, which, if not timely confuted, may produce consequences detrimental to the town, and tend to a breach of the peace. To the end thereof that the person who caused the publication thereof may be made known in order to be brought to condign punishment for such his infamous libel, we have thought fit, therefore, to appoint our Town Clerk to proceed against him in a Court of Law, unless he shall, within the space of ten days from the date thereof, make known unto us the person or persons, and where he or they may be found, who furnished the libellous article in the book, commencing page 199 to the end of page 202, to which we expect a truth

ful answer within the time specified. Communications to be made to the Mayor, Jurats and Corporation of Deal. Witness our signatures this 21st day of June, 1705. Thomas Horne, mayor, Joshua, Coppin, Tobias Bowles, Samuel Fasham, Thomas Warren, Thomas Brothers, William Conning, John Pye, Thomas Powell, late mayor, and Benjamin Hulke."

The writer of the offensive book was Daniel De'Foe, author of Robinson Crusoe,' and the same may be seen in his works at large. If it was considered libellous at the date of 1704, it is much so now. It is a common thing in certain quarters for us to hear sentiments advanced to the prejudice of the Deal boatmen, and these originate from sources as the slander in question; but the conduct of these men in seasons of peril arising in storms in our times rebut the allegation. Unnumbered instances can be adduced of their intrepidity and zeal in rescuing shipwrecked mariners when cast away on the ill-fated Goodwin, even at the risk of losing their own lives. Their first object is to save life-the cargo of any vessel stranded being a secondary object. We who live near the shore have often witnessed the enthusiasm of the whole town on seeing a Deal boat beaching with its freight of seamen just saved from drowning by the humane perseverance of these boatmen. No sooner has the boat touched the beach than hundreds of men of every class and position unite their energies in hauling it out of the surf, without waiting for appliances usually employed in such cases. We subjoin the lines or satire to which the above letter refers :

"Those sons of plunder are below my pen

Because they are below the names of men:
Who from the shores presenting to their eyes

The fatal GOODWIN, where the wreck of NAVIES lyes

A thousand dying sailors speaking to the skies.
From the sad shores they saw the wretches walk
By signals of distress they talk;

There with one tide of life they are vext

For all were sure to die the next.

The barbarous shores with men and boats abound-
The men more barbarous than the shores are found:
Off to the shattered ships they go,
And for the floating purchase row.
They spare no hazard, or no pain,

But 'tis to save the goods, and not the men
Within the sinking suppliant's reach appear
As if they'd mock their dying fear.
Then for some trifle all their hopes supplant
With cruelty would make a Turk relent.
If I had any Satire left to write,
Could I with suited spleen indite,
My verse should blast that fatal town,

And drowned sailors' widows pull it down:

No footsteps of it should appear

And ships no more cast anchor there.

The barbarous hated name of Deal should die,

Or be a term of infamy

And till that is done, the Town will stand

A just reproach to all the land."

On reading these lines it is not to be wondered why the Corporation of the town of Deal thought it fit to move in the matter, so that the writer of them should receive his reward. Daniel De'Foe was a caustic penman, and by its use, got into a series of troubles. Sometimes we find him in prison, heavily fined in damages, and more than once placed in the pillory as a punishment. But the ostensible cause for the above satire was the opportunity it afforded him of attacking the Government in permitting so many Men-of-war being in the Downs at the time of the great storm, when as many as thirteen ships of the Royal Navy were lost on the Goodwin Sands. After employing some bitter strictures on the Government, he asks,

"But O ye mighty ships of War
What in winter did you there?

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