A Farmer’s Life 
to Chepstow, in a boat that had brought over “a 
herd of oxen.” It is true he doesn’t state where 
the oxen were going; but, from the month as 
well as from other considerations, it seems likely 
that they were on their way across the south of 
England, and due in the Hampshire neighbour- 
hood in November. In this conneétion I had an 
interesting note from a friend in Gloucestershire 
one September. The ferryman at Arlingham 
Passage, he reported, had told of seeing in his 
youth, in the early autumn, as many as four 
hundred head of cattle on the Welsh side, waiting 
to be got across the river. So perhaps Wesley 
had seen Blackwater Fair cattle. In fat, one 
must think that even in his day the bringing of 
cattle from Wales was a very antiquated part of 
England’s life. 
Be that as it may, the custom was in full 
swing in John Smith’s young days. He often 
spoke of it. The subject came up first during a 
discussion of the roadside ponds of Farnborough. 
These ponds, it seemed, had not always been 
useless. For one thing, they were necessary for 
the travelling herds. Five or six ponds were 
mentioned—mostly dried up or drained or filled 
up now, though one remained—Slades Pond. As 
this was almost opposite Mrs. Cooke’s school, 
one may imagine how eager the little boys must 
have been to be deemed naughty enough for 
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