210 ROBERT POCOCK. 



ings of the coal-pits and their various strata. Drank, 

 for the first time, whisky. 



"Monday, 24th. Had three more twelve-rayed 

 star-fish from Whitstable Bay, brought me. Mallarn's 

 sale, where I bought nails at threepence-halfpenny and 

 fourpence-halfpenny per pound. 



" Wednesday, 26th. Read letter from Frances 

 describing Dulwich College, &c. 



" Thursday, 27th. Dan. Bryant bought steps of 

 Mallam for a shilling, which were mine. 



(C Monday, December 1st. George Pocock came 

 and " set " a job for the Mayor about the watermen's 

 apprentices being so rude. 



"Friday, 5th. Walked to Grays to Mr. Blaker's. 

 Visited the brick-fields, where many bones of the 

 mammoth, or elephant, were found about a fortnight 

 since, in the clay-earth, fourteen feet down. Mr. 

 Ingram of Little Thurrock, just by, has a very large 

 one found there; and in the spring of 1823, a socket 

 bone of this animal was found there which measured 

 four feet in circumference ! so I was told to-day. The 

 men who were at work sold me two large pieces for 

 a shilling ; and in the brick-earth were nodules of a 

 roundish form, and hollow, which the men said were 

 called ' race/ or ' rase/ and often met with in brick- 

 earth, and if put into the brick would make it blow or 

 spoil the brick. They always remembered it being 

 called 'rase/ I shall call it a tophus for the present, until 

 I am contradicted by superior judgment. It has much 

 the appearance of a bubbled ball, hollow within, and 

 of a calcareous substance. 



" Sunday, 7th. Observed in my walk to Grays on 

 Friday only two birds on the sea-wall viz., a chaffinch 



