13 
upon ‘“ Farming in Oxfordshire,” in which reference is 
made to a Bourne flow, where it is stated at page 193 : 
“‘ Some springs at the foot of the hills burst out in 
wet seasons and flow with great rapidity for months 
and are not seen again for years. The spring at 
Assenden, after having been dry since 1842, sent forth a 
very considerable stream during the chief part of last 
year” (1853). 
With reference to the cause cf Bourne flows, it 
should be observed that these Bournes have always 
been involved in much mystery by some persons in the 
earlier periods of history, although it was clearly under- 
stood by some philosophers that their appearance, as 
mentioned by Childrey and others, was simply due to 
gluts of rain. All kinds of suggestions have been made 
with reference to the cause of the Croydon Bourne, 
namely, that it was due to some lakes of water in the 
distant downs, which are emptied in a mysterious man- 
ner by some peculiar syphon action, or that the Bourne 
communicated with a large store of water in the God- 
stone Quarries, which was discharged when these 
quarries had filled to a certain extent. 
On January 31st, 1877, the Author wrote a letter to 
the Croydon Chronicle with reference to the mythical 
allusion, which has beenfrequentiy referred toat different, 
times, with regard to the connection between the amount 
of water in the Godstone Stone Quarries and the flow 
of the Bourne at Croydon, wherein reference was made 
to the statement that when there was a volume of water 
varying from 11 million gallons to 15 million gallons 
stored in Godstone Quarries, the Bourne would com- 
mence to flow. In consequence of these statements, the 
Author had all the high-water marks which had been put 
up from year to year by an old man who worked in these 
quarries, of the name of Hill, levelled and reduced to 
Assenden 
Bourne. 
Cause of 
Bourne flows. 
Volume of 
Water in 
Godstone 
Quarries. 
Letter to 
Croydon 
Chronicle. 
1877. 
Level of 
water in God- 
stone Quarries. 
