268 
they will form a very interesting page in our history.” These 
gentlemen had been collecting. The result of their labours was 
manifest, and he hoped that some portion at least of these 
collections would appear in their proceedings, where they would 
form a page of local history to which future historians would refer 
with pleasure and delight. With regard to the Manor of Forde 
he reminded them that a model paper on the subject had been 
written by Mr. H. D. Skrine, who had thoroughly beaten the 
boundaries and worked them out the best way he could. The 
Rev. T. D. Whale also joined in the discussion. The Chairman 
thanked both gentlemen for their papers and for the enormous 
amount of trouble they had taken. 
The excursions during the year were well-attended, and of a 
very interesting character. The first excursion took place on 
March 5th, when a large number of ladies and gentlemen, at the 
invitation of Mr. Robert Bush, assembled near the pretty old church 
of St. Mary, Charlcombe, to witness Mr. Leicester Gataker’s 
experiments in water-finding. Mr. Gataker has now become so 
well-known an adept at the art, and has been so successful, 
that his visit was anticipated with much interest. The first trial 
was made in Mr. Bush’s garden. On the south side, or that 
furthest from the church, Mr. Gataker declared water could be 
found at 20 feet, and that the volume would probably be about 
130 gals. per hour. On the northern side of the garden he 
considered the spring was 27 or 28 feet from the surface, and the 
volume might be 180 gallons per hour. Rods at these places 
were driven in to note the discovery. 
The next trial was made in the churchyard, where a spring 
was easily found, and on the pathway leading eastward from the 
Church Mr. Gataker declared a spring to be quite close to the 
surface, about 10 feet. This was interesting, as the close prox- 
imity of the Monk’s well in an adjacent building was then pointed 
out. Rather a good test was given to Mr, Gataker in taking 7 
over aspot where Mr. Chesterman had previously been. 
