the outfkirts of the foreft; or in the neigh- 

 bourhood of fome little hamlet. They are 

 never fuffered in the interior parts ; where 

 no lands are alienated from the crown, except 

 in regular grants. 



The many advantages, which the borderers 

 on forefts enjoy, fuch as rearing cattle, and 

 hogs, obtaining fuel at an eafy rate, and 

 procuring little patches of land for the trouble 

 of inclofing it, would add much, one fhould 

 imagine, to the comfort of their lives. But 

 in fact it is otherwife. Thefe advantages 

 procure them not half the enjoyments of 

 common day-labourers. In general, they are 

 an indolent race : poor and wretched in the 

 extreme. Inftead "of having the regular re- 

 turns of a week's labour to fubfift on, too 

 many of them depend on the precarious fupply 

 of foreft pilfer. Their oftenfible bufmefs is 

 commonly to cut furze, and carry it to the 

 neighbouring brick kilns ; for which purpofe 

 they keep a teem of two or three foreft-horfes : 

 while their collateral fupport is deer-ftealing, 

 poaching, or purloining timber. In this laft 

 occupation they are faid to have been fo expert, 

 that, in a night's* time, they would have cut 

 down, carried off, and lodged fafely in the 



hands 



