138 AUTUMNAL LEAVES. 



sense of obligation take the opportunity of looking 

 down upon the New Forest from the height of 

 Bramble Hill. Possibly not one person in a 

 thousand has even heard of Bramble Hill, and 

 the number is certainly very small of those who 

 have, from the eminence presented by its southern 

 acclivity, obtained what is probably the finest and 

 most extensive woodland view to be obtained in 

 any part of this fair England of ours. 



The day following our arrival at Bramshaw we 

 stand on the brow of this hill, which forms a 

 prominent and conspicuous landmark in what is 

 called the ' hill country ' of the New Forest, and 

 which rises on the northernmost limits of the 

 Conqueror's hunting-ground from the wooded 

 valley, in the depths of which lies the pretty little 

 village of Bramshaw. In the morning great 

 masses of storm-cloud had swept up over the 

 forest from the sea and discharged some heavy 

 showers. But towards mid- day the sky began to 

 clear, and when we reach our point of view on 

 the hill the clouds have broken up into great 

 foam- white masses, and the sun shines out with 

 singular brilliancy from a large expanse of blue. 



