About this same time happened that dreadful national calamity, commonly called _the great storm_, the most tremendous and most disastrous, perhaps, ever experienced in this kingdom. It continued for several days but was at the highest on the 27th of November 1703. No place escaped its fury, but in some places it was most awfully terrible and destructive. It blew from the _west_, and therefore could not so much affect this coast; and at Lynn the loss it occasioned was comparatively inconsiderable; amounting to seven or eight ships, twenty or thirty hands, and damage to the houses, or buildings, computed at about 1000_l._ and the whole including the shipping to about 3000_l_, {874} which was but a trifle, compared to the losses which some other places had then sustained. On the western coast the ravages of this storm far exceeded what they were in these eastern parts. At _Bristol_ it occasioned so high a tide as did above a 100,000_l._ damage to the merchants goods only. It also caused the _Severn_ to break down its banks, and overflow a vast tract of land, by which 15000 sheep, besides other cattle were drowned. The famous _Eddystone_ Lighthouse also, which had borne several storms unmoved, was not able to stand this. It was swept off on the tremendous night of the 27th. and nothing was to be seen the next morning but the bare rock. _Winstanley_ too, its ingenious projector and constructor, who happened then to be there, perished with the rest. {875} Soon after, on that very night, the _Winchelsea_, a homeward bound Virginia-man, split on the same rock, and most of its hands were lost. It was computed that no less than 300 sail of ships, some of them belonging to the royal navy, were lost on different parts of out coasts, and that there were drowned then in rivers and at sea, at least 8000 persons. Between one and two hundred lost their lives by the fall of houses, chimneys, &c. and a still greater number were grievously bruised and hurt from the same causes. More than 800 dwelling houses were blown down, and barns and outhouses without number. Above 400 wind-mills were overset and destroyed; upwards of one hundred churches were uncovered, and the lead from some of their roofs blown to an incredible distance: many of their steeples and battlements were also demolished. In addition to all which, above 250,000 trees were said to be then torn up by the roots. In short the whole country for sometime after exhibited the appearance of dejection, dismay, and desolation.