232 PONDS ON HILLS. 



That trees are great promoters of lakes and rivers, 

 appears from a well -known fact in North America ; 

 for, since the woods and forests have been grubbed 

 and cleared, all bodies of water are much diminished ; 

 so that some streams, that were very considerable a 

 century ago, will not now drive a common mill *. 

 Besides, most woodlands, forests, and chases, with 

 us, abound w r ith pools and morasses, no doubt for the 

 reason given above. 



To a thinking mind, few phenomena are more 

 strange than the state of little ponds on the summits 

 of chalk hills, many of which are never dry in the 

 most trying draughts of summer ; on chalk hills, I 

 say, because, in many rocky and gravelly soils, springs 

 usually break out pretty high on the sides of elevated 

 grounds and mountains ; but no person acquainted 

 with chalky districts will allow that they ever saw 

 springs in such a soil but in valleys and bottoms, since 

 the waters of so pervious a stratum as chalk all lie 

 on one dead level, as well- diggers have assured me 

 again and again, 



Now, we have many such little round ponds in this 

 district ; and one in particular on our sheep-down, 

 three hundred feet above my house ; which, though 

 never above three feet deep in the middle, and not 

 more than thirty feet in diameter, and containing 

 perhaps not more than two or three hundred hogs- 

 heads of water, yet never is known to fail, though it 

 affords drink for three hundred or four hundred 

 sheep, and for at least twenty head of large cattle be- 

 sides. This pond, it is true, is overhung with two 

 moderate beeches, that, doubtless, at times, afford it 

 much supply ; but then we have others as small, that, 

 without the aid of trees, and in spite of evaporation 

 from sun and wind, and perpetual consumption by 



* Vide KALM'S Travels to North America. 



