An Uncommon Sinking of the Ground in Kent. Communicated in a Letter to Mr. Peter Collinson

great a Plenty of the Male Plants as there is of the Female. I follow your Commands, rather than my own Inclinations, in giving you this Trouble, and am, with the greatest Respect, SIR, Your most obliged, and most obedient humble Servant, Edmund Barrell. III. An uncommon Sinking of the Ground in Kent. Communicated in a Letter to Mr. Peter Collinson. SIR, IT is within this three or four Days, that I have first been able to get a more particular Account of the sinking of the Lands at Lymne in Kent, and even now, perhaps, it will be but an imperfect one. It is now about two Years since it happened, and was the Consequence of a very wet Season, when the Waters, that had fallen on the Up lands, and were not carried off by Drains, soaked into the Ground in such Quantities as to form a quick Sand at some considerable Depth in the Earth (at least this is what we look on to have caused the Phænomenon) which not being able to bear the Weight upon it, broke out at the Side of the Hill, Hill, and raised the lower Parts of it; letting the Brow sink 40 or 50 Foot, as I guess. I am but a rude Designer, but can trust you so far as to give such a Sketch as I can draw; for, perhaps, you may understand me the better for it. \[a b c d\] the Profile of the Land. \(a\) the flat Land at Bottom 3 or 4 Mile from the Sea. \(d\) the flat Land at Top, stiff Ground and rocky. * The Place of the Farm at present, which not only sunk down from \(d\) 40 or 50 Foot, but was also moved somewhat towards \(a\). \(b\) the lower Part raised to \(c\). The Ground sunk in a Night, and was not perceived by the Farmer's Family till they found the Change in the Morning, by their Door-cases not suffering the Doors to open. The House is strangely rent by this Accident, and, had it not been Timber built, must have fell, (as a mighty strong Barn near it did, which was built of Stone) for one great Crack of the Earth went through the Middle of it, and split a large Kitchen Chimney from Top to Bottom. IV. Obser-