64 ROBERT POCOCK. 



" Thursday, April 2nd. My grape-vines "have not 

 begun to shoot, yet by my memorandum-book I 

 find my white grape put forth leaves and the fruit 

 was seen last year on this day. Marched in to town the 

 first division of an Irish regiment, the Carlow Militia. 

 Heard three proofs at Woolwich at noon. 



" Friday, April 3rd. Another detachment of the 

 Carlow Regiment marched into town. They had come 

 from Hastings in Sussex on their route to Hull. 

 Gurnards plenty ; also dried haddocks and cod-fish. 

 Read the Monthly Magazine, and observed, as I have 

 done before, that the person who styles himself 

 ' Common Sense ' writes the best sense, especially in his 

 severities against that nefarious set of pettifogging 

 scoundrels called lawyers alias vultures who prey on 

 the substance and vitals of honest men ! Had a taran- 

 tula spider brought me by Mr. Fox, waterman. 



"Saturday, April 4th. Another detachment of the 

 Carlow Regiment marched in. Walked on over hill, and 

 observed in bloom common chick weed, red nettle, white 

 nettle, furze, nailwort, and white violets. Kidney 

 potatoes in our market sixpence per gallon ; champions 

 fivepence. The sun went down clear, and Venus, the 

 evening star, seen with others of the first, second, and 

 third magnitudes very clear. Mr. Jackson, the pilot, 

 says he has seen from Gravesend Reach the flash of the 

 Admiral's gun at the Nore, and heard the report about 

 a minute after, frequently (of a still night) when he 

 belonged to the Gravesend boats. It is a distance of 

 about twenty-one or twenty-two miles. The rue- 

 leaved whitlow grass is nearly in bloom ; I think it 

 will be this next week. 



