Czar, and had been entrusted with harbour works at Dover. He agreed to take over the materials acc by his predecessor; but Boswell, so soon as his rival's exhibited, busied himself in presenting a petition to P against allowing the new engineer to proceed, alleging scheme was utterly impracticable. Six months were a fresh breach in the walls occurred whilst Perry w examined before a Parliamentary Committee, and wh delays occurred. Finally, on June 8th, 1716, the which was dated the previous 26 January, was signe trustees with Perry, and he was able to get really to something more than the preparation of dove-tailed pil framed sluice, which, in the meantime, he had comm a yard hired at Rotherhithe for the purpose.

The task proved a grave undertaking, involving e anxiety and risk, and at times of spring tide it was acco by much peril. In September 1717, and again in Se 1718, exceptionally high tides occured, which destroyed of his work, and jeopardised the remainder. Perry was, a man of indomitable courage and perseverance, and delighted in difficult undertakings. After more than fi spent in laborious effort, his labours were crowned with Three times he had turned the tide out of the levels November, 1721, when a great storm, accompanied by flo occurred, he had the satisfaction of seeing his works ris foot above the water. Although he had offered sound se the trustees had been unable to advance the money nece meet these unexpected disasters, and as he says, "had good friends, the Russia merchants, who knew me in th service, stood firmly by me, it is certain I should ne been able to go through with my undertaking."

My friend, Mr. Walter Crouch, F.Z.S., who ha some consideration to the subject, estimates that t of the thirteen years' outlay could not have been le £80,000, but in my opinion the total expenditu probably more.

Captain Perry did not make a fortune, although granted by Parliament a sum of £15,000, and was prese the local landowners with a further £1,000, but almost swallowed up by the heavy expenses of his task. In h

Daggenham Breach (London, 1721), he points out that had his first embankments, completed by the date, 19th July, 1718, specified in the contract, withstood the second high tide, he would have made a clear gain. It was in consideration of his protracted efforts that Parliament passed a special clause (7, Geo. II., cap. 20), in "An Act for continuing the Malt Tax, and for other purposes," enabling the trustees to disburse to him this further sum, in consideration of which he was to maintain his works for three years longer.

Perry built a convenient residence in the vicinity of the Breach, where he or his superintendents could reside on the spot to oversee the workmen. In a book entitled An Impartial Account of the Frauds and Abuses at Dagenham Breach (London, 1717), published by his rival, Boswell, Perry was assailed in a virulent manner for alleged extravagance in building this house, also twelve houses for his workmen : "In truth one of the best and chiefest of his works is his building a fine house at the Breach,

well sashed, adorned and furnished in which to entertain his friends and visitants: and this he does after a most splendid and generous manner. Poor Boswell's little shed," that worthy continues spitefully, "is by no means fit for those extravagant Revels which are so often kept at the Breach, and should Captain Perry fail (as the thing is more than probable) he has by these measures taken care to entail a very large Bill upon his successors."

t

Dagenham Breach was a lonesome, distant place, and Captain Perry doubtless found such a structure convenient for the reception of the trustees on their visits of inspection, as well as for himself and his friends, whilst watching the progress of the work, especially at the critical period of spring tides. When the trustees travelled down to these weird marshes, they would need shelter and refreshment, and Perry was wise to provide it. Boswell was green with jealousy; he saw the success of another through coloured glasses. It is not improbable that if he had lived close to and watched his own operations they would not have failed so signally as they did. Possibly he dreaded ague, to frequent attacks of which Captain Perry makes references.

In 1724 and 1725 litigation followed between Boswell and Perry as to the value of the material abandoned by the former, for which the latter had agreed to pay. Boswell stated that 43,954 tons of chalk had been brought to the works, at a cost of £3,112 19s. Iod., and claimed on 24,777 tons at 17d. per ton. For wages he claimed the further sum of £6,545. By an order of the Lord Chancellor, Perry, the appellant, was desired to pay the respondent, Boswell, the sum of £1,720 and his and his costs. Whether he ever did so is another matter.

Captain Perry succeeded in damming out the tidal wave, but he never, so far as is recorded, attempted to drain the lake formed by the breach. The ingress and egress of the waters for so long a time had scooped out much of the marsh, and hundreds of acres of land have never been reclaimed.

This large sheet of water, called the Gulf, Lake, or Mere, which Perry had shut in by closing the breach with the adjoining estate, was partly owned by the Fanshawe family of Parsloes.

It has recently passed into the hands of Messrs Williams and Sons, who have erected large jetties, land seaborne coal there with great expedition. A on concrete piles is being constructed, and the on place is now full of life and animation. An Act of Pa granted for the formation of a deep-water dock so ago was renewed last session, and as the situation is favourable, it is more than probable that Dagenh will really be known in the future all over the Dagenham Docks.

ΑΝ EAST ANGLIAN CLASSI

R. SECCOMBE has done a bold thing, but he has s in it. For it is a very bold thing to hew a story books, and republish it separately with a new title author's name to it, just as if the author himself had so and shaped it. Suppose a book were suddenly to appe Diana Vernon, by Sir Walter Scott, or Betsy Trotwood, by Dickens-what excitement there would be, until it was d that one was a vechauffé of Rob Roy, and the other of Dav field. The parallel, however, is not fair; for whereas t of both those ladies is woven into the fabric of the stories they are found, the adventures of George Borrow an Berners (of Long Melford), form a distinct and easily de passage in Lavengro and the Romany Rye, its sequel. Mr. Seccombe has done, has been to lift the Dingle bodily, to re-number them as if they formed a complete to write a sufficient prefatory note to explain the positio protagonist, and, in a sinewy Introduction, to tell his something about the character of George Borrow and t of his literary work. The whole makes the most c and enkindling preparation for Borrow that could be in It is a Borrow primer. It should send hundreds of pe Lavengro and The Bible in Spain, for the first time.

The more I think about Mr. Seccombe's pages the mo struck by the extreme happiness of this act of gracious Isopel Berners. By GEORGE BORROW. Edited by THOMAS SECCOMBE. ( Stoughton. Price 2s. 6d.