JUNE 229 



The King's Head Hotel, Bungay, was sold again to-day with- 

 out the ruins, which the Duke of Norfolk keeps in his own hands. 

 This time it fetched 5,2507., as against the former price of 6,8oo/. 

 It would appear, therefore, that the Duke must write off a loss of 

 at least 1,0507., since, sentiment and historical associations, which 

 do not fetch much in Bungay, apart, it would be impossible to 

 value the site of the old castle at more than 5oo/. To anyone who 

 has it, however, it is worth while spending a thousand or so to 

 save the feudal towers of his ancestors from the hands of the 

 speculator in villas and licensed premises. 



I visited this afternoon the sheep on field No. 24, just about 

 the time when they were waiting to be let into the new pen. 

 While I was yet a great way off they saw me, and, mistaking me 

 for Hood, raised a tremendous baa-ing, but when I came up to 

 them and they found out their error, they seemed much depressed. 

 Presently Hood arrived, and the baa-ing re-commenced. Now 

 the hurdles, on the other side of which they had stood for hours, 

 suffering all the tortures of Tantalus, were withdrawn. Heavens ! 

 how they rushed through the gap, grabbing at the green stuff as 

 they ran, and knocking each other aside in their efforts to secure 

 the juiciest tufts. The best dispositioned sheep, alas ! are not 

 altruistic in their views. They fell upon that patch of corn like 

 locusts ; indeed, anyone unaccustomed to their greed would have 

 imagined that they were starving, although in fact their condition 

 is excellent. They are allowed three of these folds a day, and 

 clean off every scrap on them down to the thistles. 



The price of lambs is poor. Now, in June, I cannot get 

 twenty-eight shillings apiece for them, whereas two months ago, 

 at Easter, they fetched twenty-nine. The reason of the fall is 

 the coldness of the weather ; at least the butchers declare that in 

 an inclement summer like the present the public has no fancy 

 for light meat such as lamb, but prefers to buy beef and mutton. 



To-night another very heavy thunder rain is falling, which is 

 curious after so cold a day. This weather is most discouraging to 

 the farmer, as with such continual surface wet it is almost 



