ROBERT POCOCK. 209 



" Tuesday } \8th. Received a packet from Mrs, 

 Smith, Gamer, containing dried specimens of plants 

 and confirming the grass I found near Swanscombe 

 Wood (S.E. part of field) to be the Panicum viride, as 

 I thought; and that the sea-pea is peculiar to Wal- 

 mer (near Deal) in Kent. And that the rare specimen 

 I sold her (in chalk) is called ' Lunulites ' by Mr, 

 Mantel, of Lewes, who has given a plate of it in his 

 works on fossils. Prize-fight at Dartford. 



" Wednesday, 19^. The men boring for water in 

 the Market Place have got down 140 feet through 

 chalk and flint only ; but now have come to some hard 

 substance, which they have not been able to penetrate 

 these two last days. Exchanged with Mr. Ryan, 

 surgeon at Mr. Warren's, six medical books for No. 

 12 picture, ' Human Life/ Mr. Berry (a gentleman 

 going out to settle at Kingston, in Jamaica, as secre- 

 tary to Beckford Wildman, Esq., M.P.) drank tea with 

 me, and promised to send humming-birds, &c. 



" Friday, 2lst. Sun. The men have bored 1 51 feet 

 in the Market Place, the wages for which come to 30Z. ; 

 viz., Qd, for every ten feet boring, viz., advancing 

 from the first ten feet 6d. per foot extra every ten feet. 



" Saturday, 22nd. Mr. Alder, a learned and scien- 

 tific gentleman, called and had some conversation, 

 saying he had had a public disputation at Newcastle, 

 at the request of the mayor and corporation, to con- 

 fute the principles of Sir Humphrey Davy's safety- 

 lamp. He informed me the high sheriff of Northum- 

 berland, Selby, Esq., was writing a ' History of British 

 birds,' &c., &c. 



" Sunday, 23rd. Went in evening to spend an hour 

 with Mr. Alder, and with much pleasure saw his draw- 



p 



