TALBOT3400

L. Abbey
Thursday 1 Dec^r

My Dear Henry

A very odd shaped parcel is come for you, directed to the care of M^r Wright, ¹ but he knows nothing about it. it is cylindrical, 5 inches in diameter, 7 in length, and composed of some hard substance, probably tin but which is concealed from view by a thick brown paper. Likewise a small lumpy parcel with a parchment direction to you in Sackville Street, ² what is to be done with them, as they cannot be compressed so as to be enclosed to William. ³ I should not wonder if the small one contained seeds. I conveyed your plants to Bowood, ⁴ & L^y Lansdowne ⁵ gave them herself to the Gardener, who as he is a new Man, will probably take care of them. The storm of Tuesday Morn^g has done dreadful damage all round the Country, only one of the old Elms in front of the house suffered by losing an immense side limb, not so bad as if it had been the head, but still it painfully affected me, when I saw the venerable wreck on the ground, as it lay there it looked like a whole tree. Two others were blown down but not in situations in which you will miss them, & very odd how the wind got at them, being in particularly sheltered places. The greatest devastation was in my Garden the head of a tree was blown off & in its fall carried all before it. I wish the Christino generals had done as much.⁶ It broke off the Arbor judæ & crushed the large arbutus & all the hollies & lilacs that were in its way. Old John was sweeping the dead leaves & had a narrow escape. At Corsham ⁷ they have lost Eleven large old Elms besides innumerable small fry. It was a hurricane of mean sentiments, & ungenerously rooted up the lowly Shrub as well as the lordly Forest tree. I never saw plants prostrated by the whirlwind before.