At Portsmouth was a great Fleet, as has been noted already, several of the Ships were blown quite out to Sea, whereof some were never heard of more; the Newcastle was heard off upon the Coast of Sussex, where she was lost with all their Men but 23; the Resolution, the Eagle advice Boat, and the Litchfield Prize felt the same fate, only sav'd their Men: From Cows several Ships were driven out to Sea, whereof one run on Shoar in Stokes-bay, one full of Soldiers, and two Merchant Men have never been heard off, as I could ever learn, abundance of the Ships sav'd themselves by cutting down their Masts, and others Stranded, but by the help of the ensuing Tides got off again.
Portsmouth, Plymouth, Weymouth, and most of our Sea Port Towns look'd as if they had been Bombarded, and the Damage of them is not easily computed.
Several Ships from the Downs were driven over to the Coast of Holland, and some sav'd themselves there; but several others were lost there.
At Falmouth 11 Sail of Ships were stranded on the Shoar, but most of them got off again.
In Barstable Harbour, a Merchant Ship outward bound was over-set, and the express advice Boat very much shatter'd, and the Quay of the Town almost destroy'd.
'Tis endless to attempt any farther Description of Losses, no place was free either by Land or by Sea, every thing that was capable felt the fury of the Storm; and 'tis hard to say, whether was greater the loss by Sea, or by Land; the Multitude of brave stout Sailors is a melancholy subject, and if there be any difference gives the sad Ballance to the Account of the Damage by Sea.
We had an Account of about 11 or 12 Ships droven over for the Coast of Holland, most of which were lost, but the Men saved, so that by the best Calculation I can make, we have not lost less than 150 sail of Vessels of all sorts by the Storm; the number of Men and other damages, are Calculated elsewhere.
We have several Branches of this Story which at first were too easily credited, and put in Print, but upon more strict examination, and by the discoveries of Time, appear'd otherwise, and therefore are not set down.
It was in the design to have Collected the several Accounts of the fatal effects of the Tempest abroad in Foreign Parts; but as our Accounts came in from thence too imperfect to be depended upon; the Collector of these Papers could not be satisfied to offer them to the World, being willing to keep as much as possible to the Terms of his Preface.
We are told there is an Abstract to the same purpose with this in France, Printed at Paris, and which contains a strange variety of Accidents in that Country.