124 ON THE GEAMPIAN HILLS. 



marvellous rank ground for fedying of catel by 

 reason that the grass groweth so plentifully, It is 10 

 miles from east to west, and four from north to south, 

 containing four districts, the total acreage being 

 46,691 acres. The lands differ in fertility ; few oxen 

 but many sheep; on an average 3 to an acre. The 

 lands let for 20s. per acre, besides which the tenant 

 pays 5s. in the for keeping up banks, roads, &c." 

 Such was the account of Romney Marsh given by the 

 historian writing about the date of 1580. 



Starting from Cannon Street, and journeying by 

 the South-Eastern Railway, I could not fail to be 

 struck with the daily-increasing extension of the 

 metropolis. Already it has reached Lewisham, once a 

 quiet, pleasant, suburban retreat, but now linked to 

 London by one almost continuous street. Soon every 

 green field in this locality will be improved off the 

 face of the earth by the speculative builder, who has 

 his wicked will, and still stretches out his greedy arms 

 for more land upon which to run up with haste his 

 semi-detached villas. Then the pretty and increasing 

 hamlet of Chiselhurst is reached, and dashing through 

 the tunnels we fly past Sevenoaks, take a peep at 

 Tunbridge and the hop-growing district about Marden, 

 past Headcorn, until Ashford is reached, where I was 

 to join the party of sportsmen bent on pursuing the 

 " nut-brown hare " over the big fallows and the large 

 grass-lands of Romney Marsh. On my arrival I 

 was met by Mr. Sidney Wilmot, chairman of the 

 Tunbridge Wells Farmers' Club, to whom I was in- 

 debted for the invitation to join in this day's sport, 

 who had requisitioned carriages and horses from the 

 well-known Saracen's Head, sufficient to convey the 



