194 THE NATURAL HISTORY [LETT. 



was a large hop-kiln, into the chambers of which she might 

 have retired had she thought shelter an object worthy her 

 attention. 



Europe itself, it seems, cannot set bounds to the rovings of 

 these vagabonds ; for Mr. Bell, in his return from Pekin, met a 

 gang of these people on the confines of Tartary, who were 

 endeavouring to penetrate those deserts and try their fortune 

 in China. 1 



Gypsies are called in French, Bohemians; in Italian and 

 modern Greek, Zingari. 



SELBORNE, Oct. 2, 1775. 



LETTER LXVIII. 



TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES BARRINGTON. 



" Hie - tsed.-e pingues, hie plurimus ignis 



Semper, et assiduS postea fuligine nigri." 



(Vmo. Eel. vii. 49,50.) 

 " Here are fat torches, here abundant fire, 



Here constant smoke has black'd each side the door." 



I SHALL make no apolcgy for troubling you with the detail of a 

 very simple piece of domestic economy, being satisfied that you 

 think nothing beneath your attention that tends to utility : the 

 matter alluded to is the use of rushes instead of candles, which 

 I am well aware prevails in many districts besides this; but 

 as I know there are countries also where it does not obtain, 

 and as I have considered the subject with some degree of 

 exactness, I shall proceed in my humble story, and leave you 

 to judge of the expediency. 



The proper species of rush for this purpose seems to be the 

 Juncus conglomeratus, or common soft rush, which is to be 

 found in most moist pastures, by the sides of streams, and under 



1 See Bell's " Travels in China." 



