the time this bargain was made, and the price of consols and other public securities, so exceedingly low, may in some measure account for it, but such a transaction as this can never be justified on any plea of necessity whatever.

The Turnpike Trust fixed a toll-gate at the top of Queen Street, much to the annoyance of everyone. Mr. May's town residence was here, also that of Captain Poynter, and the

The South-end of

bank of Messrs. May, Wyborn, and Co. the town very soon took away the trade from the North-end, to the prejudice of the owners of property in that quarter.

66

Hasted, in his history of Kent, published in 1799, notices the statement of Kilburne of a monstrous fish getting on shore in 1574 at Broadstairs, and says by way of note, that "A bone of this fish is still preserved at Little Nash, in St. John's parish, but it is greatly impaired in size from being exposed to the air." He further states that a few years previous to writing his history, There were four wales or monstrous large fish, towed ashore by the fishermen on this Island, one of which had been found floating on the sea dead, which was brought to Broadstairs, and measured about sixty feet long and thirty-eight feet round the middle; its forked tail was thirteen feet wide; its lower jaw nine feet long; it had two rows of teeth, twenty-two in each row, about two inches long. The upper jaw had no teeth, only holes for the lower ones to shut in. It had only one nostril. It had two gills, and the lower shut in about three feet from the end of the nose. This great fish was sold at Deal for twenty-two guineas." The grampus sometimes appears in the Downs. We have seen three or four at one time when the roadstead has been free of shipping and the wind blowing fresh from the eastward, gamboling about and throwing up jets of water into the air at considerable height. These fish

get now and then out of their latitude, possibly attracted hither by the enormous shoals of herrings which abound in these waters from October to January.

1802. The inhabitants of Deal were much annoyed in being informed that Messrs. Solly and Coleman, the Collectors of the King's Taxes, had become defaulters, by not paying the money collected to the Receiver General. Their defalcation consequently fell upon the rate-payers, who had one and all to pay their respective amount of taxes over again. To obtain redress, a memorial from the inhabitants was presented by Sir Edward Knatchbull, M.P. for the County of Kent, on their behalf. —The following is a copy of the memorial :— "To his Majesty's Commissioners for the Affairs of Taxes.The Memorial of the Inhabitants of the Town and Parish of Deal in the County of Kent.

"Sheweth. That some time about the month of April, 1802, the then Collectors of the several Taxes charged on that parish made default in payment to the Receiver General of the Taxes collected by them, and a sum of £875 13s. Od. is now claimed to be due from that parish to the Crown. That the parish has been put to considerable expence in fixing one of the collectors with the amount; in which they have ultimately failed, in the Court of Exchequer. That the Commissioners acting for the district, not having taking any measures for making a re-assessment on the parish for the purpose of making up the said deficiencies, and from the circumstances of the case being new and nearly unprecipitated, the inhabitants were without information as to the proper means how the deficiency was to be made up. But the sum of £915 2s. 9d. has been from time to time raised and and paid to the Bodar of Dover Castle, out of the poor-rates; and which sum is now in the hands of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports or some of his officers, and exceeds the

amount of the sum due to the Receiver-General by about the sum of £39 19s. 9d. That your memorialists are informed that, notwithstanding the said payments of the deficiency by the parish, and which sum has been raised with much pain and trouble from time to time, the Constable of Dover Castle has a demand on some part of the said sum of £915 12s. 9d. for issues. The memorialists,. therefore, pray that you will be pleased to take their case into your consideration, and direct that measures may be taken to enable the ReceiverGeneral to receive from the office of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports the said sum of £915 12s. 9d., and which is now in his custody; and that the Receiver-General may be directed, on receipt thereof, to discharge the memorialists of the parish of Deal, as to the payment of the sum of £875 13s.; and that the remaining sum of £39 19s. 9d. may be paid to the memorialists, after payment therewith of any expence that may be incurred in so doing.-Signed by the resident inhabitants."

1802, December 23.-A barque named the "Trojan," was stranded this day, it blowing a heavy gale of wind at the time, abreast of the Windmill, North-end. In a very short time she swaddled down in the sand, as to be scarcely visible at low water. The continuance of the gale and running tide had so affected her that little or nothing was got out of her.

1803, January 13.-A heavy gale from the E.N.E.; frosty weather. A ship, named the " Hindostan," an outwardbound East Indiaman, one of the Company's ships, got on shore on the west part of Margate Sands, and soon bilged and became a wreck. The crew, including officers, &c., numbered 140: with the exception of 19, the whole were saved by the active exertions of the boatmen. The loss of the 19 was owing to their having secured themselves, as they thought, to a raft, which was overturned by the violence of the wind and surf of the sea. In this number of drowned was the son of

Mr. Charles Hammond, of Deal, a youth of great promise, only sixteen years of age. His loss was deeply regretted. 'The India House Pilot Cutter ran on shore at the same time, but was got off with assistance from the shore.

1803, March 15.-The Mayor of Deal (Mr. Isaac Gammon), with the Jurats and Common Council, attended the ceremony of laying the first stone of the new Town Hall and Market Place. Under the stone was placed a piece of copper, having engraved thereon the Mayor's name, date of the year, with certain other suitable inscriptions, &c. Hard by the spot where this stone was laid, was a celebrated well, famous as being the best water in Deal; it was called "Bear's Well," and was adjoining the two acres of land the Corporation purchased for £80 of Mr. Bridger-on which St. George's Chapel stands, and the burial ground thereto belonging.

1803, March 16.-The foundation-stone of a new Congregational Chapel was laid, the Rev. John Vincent, minister. The old one, which, although very small, was a very neat and unique structure: it had been built in 1662, after the passing of the Act of Uniformity. This Act silenced and displaced the Rector (Rev. Mr. Sillyard) of St. Leonard's, Upper Deal. On the formation of this Dissenting Church, certain articles of faith and discipline were agreed to, and which had been preserved entire up to the time of the passing of the law which gave a legal title to Dissenting Registers; which document was sent for safe custody to the Registry Office, Abingdon Street, London, and where it can be seen on payment of one shilling. The first corpse entered in the burial place was the servant of the Rector.

1803, May 7.—Apprehensions of the renewal of hostilities between England and France unsettled the minds of everyone who had connexions at the opposite coast; but the most annoying occurrence was, that of the impressment of seamen and others for the Royal Navy. At night time, soon after ten

o'clock, the streets were paraded by a body of foot and horse soldiers, together with some officers and sailors, belonging to H.M. Ships in the Downs. The “Minerva ” and “Amelia, frigates; the former commanded by Lord Proby, the latter by Capt, Brenton. Without any ceremony they entered houses, shops, &c., and pressed some sailors, and even tradesmen and mechanics, into the service, and took them to the Naval Yard. Some were, however, on examination, liberated; but the remainder were sent to join the fleet. This infringement on the liberties of the people is not likely to be ever again attempted: the distress to several families this proceeding gave rise to was very painful; husbands, fathers, and sons were forced into the public service, having no will of their own in the matter.

1803, May 30.-A provincial meeting of the ancient body of Freemasons was held in Deal this day. The chaplain, Dr. Perfect, preached them a sermon at St. Leonard's Church, Upper Deal, on the text-" Bear ye one another's burdens ;" which it would be well for mankind in general to observe.

1803, September 29.-A great number of men-of-war and bomb-vessels left the Downs in order to bombard Calais and Boulogne. The heavy roar of the cannon was distinctly heard in Deal.

1803, September 15.-On the renewal of hostilities with France this year after the short peace, Mr. William Pitt, then Prime Minister, exerted all his powers to arouse the nation to put forth its strength in order to thwart the evil designs of Napoleon Buonaparte, who had long contemplated an invasion of this country. Every demonstration he could possibly display, both by sea and land, of England's determination to prosecute the war with vigour, he availed himself of. Among the many was that of fitting out a fleet of Deal luggers, armed according to size with guns called carronades; one in eachsome eighteen-pounders and some twelve-pounders, manned