Posted with permission of the transcriber, Petra Michinson. Geo. The Times, Tuesday, Dec 25, 1821; pg. 3; Issue 11437; col C STATE OF THE WEATHER. --------------- DUMFRIES, Dec. 18. - Since our last an immense quantity of rain has fallen in this neighbourhood: on Saturday night in particular it simply poured down in torrents, in consequence of which, on Sunday, the Nith rose to an almost unprecedented height. The flood reached its greatest altitude at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when the waters gradually receded to their former channel. Many of the houses at the lower end of Friar's-vennel and Nith-place were completely inundated by the overflowing of the river, thereby occasioning much trouble and inconvenience to the families who inhabit them. In the mills at Maxwelltown the water was about a foot in depth, which caused a great number of rats to emerge from their hiding places and trust to their aquatic powers for escaping; this circumstance afforded the miller an excellent opportunity for executing vengeance on these depredators (against whom he had long vowed revenge on account of the havock they had made amongst his well-filled sacks), and, after a severe battle, he succeeded in destroying upwards of 100 of them, several of which were of an extraordinary size. - Dumfries Journal. While the flood was at the highest, a curious circumstance occurred in a house in Nith-place. In the lower part of this house the water rose to the height of four or five feet, and had very nearly drowned a poor kitten which had incautiously ventured into the cellar. The kitten commenced a terrible mewing, and the lady of the house had just requested one of her maids to endeavour to save the luckless animal, when a female dog (which has lately been deprived of its pups, and which has since suckled the kitten) dashed in of her own accord, and seizing her protege by the collar, rescued it just at the critical moment. Not contented with this meritorious service, the sagacious animal carried the kitten upstairs, and laid it gently down before the kitchen fire, and then, as if perfectly conscious that she had performed a good action, leaped up on her mistress, and made the house resound with her joyful barking. - Dumfries Courier. We regret to learn, that several farmers in this county and Galloway have lost great numbers of sheep within these few weeks, by the rot - brought on, no doubt, by the wet weather which has so long prevailed. - Dumfries Journal. The weather last Tuesday was a phenomenon at this season of the year. Early in the morning, the mutterings of distant thunder were heard - at noon a violent storm of hail fiercely pattered against the windows - about two in the afternoon a deep and thick darkness suddenly came on "making the day hideous" - shortly afterwards Jove's terrible artillery rolled in the sky, accompanied with vivid and fearful flashes of lightning. - Carlisle Journal. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Petra