22 WHITE 



Wolmer Pond, so called, I suppose, for eminence* sake, is 

 a vast lake for this part of the world, containing, in its whole 

 circumference, 2,646 yards, or very near a mile and a half. 

 The length of the north-west and opposite side is about 704 

 yards, and the breadth of the south-west end about 456 yards. 

 This measurement, which I caused to be made with good ex- 

 actness, gives an area of about sixty-six acres, exclusive of a 

 large irregular arm at the north-east corner, which we did not 

 take into the reckoning. 



On the face of this expanse of waters, and perfectly secure 

 from fowlers, lie all day long, in the winter season, vast flocks 

 of ducks, teals, and widgeons, of various denominations ; where 

 they preen and solace, and rest themselves, till towards sunset, 

 when they issue forth in little parties (for in their natural state 

 they are all birds of the night) to feed in the brooks and mead- 

 ows ; returning again with the dawn of the morning. Had 

 this lake an arm or two more, and were it planted round with 

 thick covert (for now it is perfectly naked), it might make a 

 valuable decoy. 



Yet neither its extent, nor the clearness of its water, nor 

 the resort of various and curious fowls, nor its picturesque 

 groups of cattle, can render this meer so remarkable as the 

 great quantity of coins that were found in its bed about forty 

 years ago. But, as such discoveries more properly belong to 

 the antiquities of this place, I shall suppress all particulars for 

 the present, till I enter professedly on my series of letters 

 respecting the more remote history of this village and district. 



NOTE 



1 1 mean that sort which, rising into tall hassocks, is called by the for- 

 esters torrets; a corruption, I suppose, of turrets. G. W. 



In the beginning of the summer of 1787, the royal forests of Wolmer and 

 Holt were measured by persons sent down by government. G. W. 



