INTRODUCTION. 



SUSSEX, one of the six southern maritime counties of 

 England, lies between 40' E. long, and 58' W. long., 

 and between 50 43' and 51 9' N. lat. It is bounded on the 

 west by Hampshire ; on the north, north-east, and east by 

 Surrey and Kent ; and on the south by the English Channel. 

 Its extreme length, in a straight line from Lady Holt Park 

 on the west to the end of Kent Ditch on the east, is 76 

 miles, while its extreme breadth, in a cross line from 

 Tunbridge Wells on the north to Beachy Head on the south, 

 is 27 miles. The coast line, following the indentations, is 

 nearly 90 miles. The area of the county is about 934,856 

 acres. 



ELEVATIONS. The South Downs enter Sussex from 

 Hampshire and run in a S.E. direction to Beachy Head; 

 their mean altitude is about 500ft. above the level of the 

 sea. The highest ground is Black Down Hill, 918ft. 

 Ditchling Beacon is 813ft., Firle Beacon is 718ft., Chancton- 

 bury Hill is 783ft., Bowhill and Roche's Hill are 702ft., and 

 Beachy Head 582ft. The Wealden Heights, in the northern 

 part of the county, extend from St. Leonard's Forest into 

 Kent, where they join the North Downs. From Ashdown 

 Forest an offshoot from this range runs S.E. and ends in 

 Fairlight Down. The ridge of the Weald attains its greatest 

 height at Crowborough Beacon, 792ft. Brightling Down is 

 600ft., and Fairlight Down 500ft. 



CLIMATE. As regards climate, the Downs divide the 

 county into two districts, "the coast or insular having an 

 equable climate, an average humidity, a small daily 

 variation of temperature and a smaller rainfall; and the 

 inland, or continental, with an extreme climate, greater 

 daily ranges and a larger rainfall." According to Mr. C. L. 

 Prince's observations made at Uckfield during twenty-eight 

 years, the average rainfall may be stated as about 29'38 

 inches, and the prevailing winds as south-west, west, and 

 north-east. The mean temperature he gives as about 50'6, 



