1791 HIS ILLNESS 233 



To Benjn. White. Selborne, July 23rd, 1791. 



Dear Brother, — It is full time to make our proper acknow- 

 ledgements for all your favours, and good offices which we 

 experienced at your house for so long a time ; and especially 

 as we are assured that you will be pleased to hear that we 

 got safe to our journey's end. My gravel, I thank God, 

 did not return in consequence of my journey, and my 

 feverish disorder has partly left me : so that I hope to have, 

 for a time, a respite from my sufferings. The showers of 

 Monday 18th availed us as far as Wimbledon-common ; but 

 afterwards the dust became very troublesome. When we 

 came to this place we found that this hill-country had lately 

 enjoyed many refreshing showers ; and that the gardens and 

 fields were much benefited thereby ; though the former 

 months had been so very hot and dry, that at an average 

 the farmers did not get more than half a crop of hay. I 

 am ashamed to tell you what a blunder I made at Cobham 

 by paying the Clapham driver four shillings more than his 

 due. This fellow pothered me, by insisting that his master 

 was to have ISs. instead of 17s. and would have pers waded 

 me that I always paid 18s. from Cobham to S. Lambeth. 

 At length I laid down a guinea, and reckoning from 17s. 

 paid him five more to make 22s., which was due for the 

 journey, and his attendance the Friday before. So that 

 I paid him 26s. instead of 22s. ; besides two shillings which 

 I gave him as driver. The money that I paid him was one 

 guinea and two half-crowns, as he must well remember. Of 

 this mistake I was not conscious till we were some way out 

 of Cobham. 



Mrs. Edmund White has advanced my nephews and nieces 

 to the number of 58. 



y obliged and affectionate brother. 



Wheat looks well, and the Hops at this place are in a 

 promising way. I return Mr. B. White many thanks for 

 his letter of July 21st. 



