when I say that I chose to eat my dinner in one of the waggons outside the canvas walls. It may be gathered from what I have already said about the overdone and underdone meat that the attempt to thoroughly roast the ox was a failure, and the reader need not be surprised to learn that many a steak was cut from the huge "joint" by workmen and stablemen after its removal to the St. Leonards Mews. A few more words must suffice to complete this part of my story. The several builders and contractors were called upon to pay for the treat to workmen, and among the amusements indulged in was the conventional leg of mutton to be climbed for. This was suspended from the top of a scaffold pole attached to the Marina houses then in course of erection.
In alluding to some of the prominent atmospheric influences which militated against the progress of the undertaking, I mentioned the damaging gales of Sept. 28-30, 1828, and the two severe storms of Jan. 7 and October 5-8. 1829. I attributed mainly to the unfavourable weather the partial wreck of a house in Mercatoria, and I also described the fall of five houses on the Marina. I had to tax my memory for the date of the latter downfall, and this led me to fix on the year 1829, as well as to attribute the accident to a want of care arising from too great haste in their construction. From further investigation I learnt that the disaster occurred on the last day of the week and the last day of the month of January, 1829, and that although better provision might have prevented it, the immediate cause was a brief and sudden break in the six week's severe frost of the winter 1828-29. A carpenter named Funnell was one of the men engaged on the buildings, and on hearing the commencement of a terrific crash, without knowing exactly what was occurring, he rushed out of the buildings and thus escaped injury. His son and another boy, who had been preparing coffee for breakfast on an upper floor, were still more marvellously preserved. The news soon reached Hastings that Funnell and his sone were killed, when a Colonel Mayon, with true instincts of humanity, started in a carriage from the Marine Hotel to ascertain the truth or falsity of the rumour. It was his pleasing opportunity to take back to Mr. Funnell's daughter the assurance that no-one was hurt. I think it right to give these modifications and additional particulrs, as it is not improbable that at some future time my somewhat rambling notes may be quoted from in confirmation of some particular event. It is therefore, the more necessary that I should correct, as I proceed, any slight errors into which I may be accidentally led. It may not be amiss to remind the reader that most of my information is original, and that when my own memory does not supply me with sufficiently reliable material, I have sought for the facts in other channels than those of guide books.
As regards the altered designs of the houses 58 to 64 Marina, which were being built at the time when the ox was roasted, it will be seen from the accompanying view, a facsimile of Mr. Burton's original drawing, with his initials attached that it afterwards underwent a considerable modification; and, as most persons will admit, for the -
