NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 27 



dryness of the season, such vast heath-fires are lighted up, 

 that they often get to a masterless head, and, catching the 

 hedges, have sometimes been communicated to the under- 

 woods, woods, and coppices, where great damage has 

 ensued. The plea for these burnings is, that, when the 

 old coat of heath, &c. is consumed, young will sprout up, 

 and afford much tender brouze for cattle ; but, where there 

 is large old furze, the fire, following the roots, consumes 

 the very ground ; so that for hundreds of acres nothing is 

 to be seen but smother and desolation, the whole circuit 

 round looking like the cinders of a volcano ; and, the soil 

 being quite exhausted, no traces of vegetation are to be 

 found for years. These conflagrations, as they take place 

 usually with a north-east or east wind, much annoy this 

 village with their smoke, and often alarm the country ; and, 

 once in particular, I remember that a gentleman, who lives 

 beyond Andover, coming to my house, when he got on the 

 downs between that town and Winchester, at twenty-five 

 miles distance, was surprised much with smoke and a hot 

 smell of fire ; and concluded that Alresford was in flames ; 

 but, when he came to that town, he then had apprehensions 

 for the next village, and so on to the end of his journey. 



On two of the most conspicuous eminences of this 

 forest stand two arbours or bowers, made of the boughs 

 of oaks ; the one called Waldon-lodge, the other Brimstone- 

 lodge : these the keepers renew annually on the feast of 

 St. Barnabas, taking the old materials for a perquisite. 

 The farm called Blackmoor, in this parish, is obliged to 

 find the posts and brush-wood for the former ; while the 

 farms at Greatham, in rotation, furnish for the latter ; and 

 are all enjoined to cut and deliver the materials at the 

 spot. This custom I mention, because I look upon it to 

 be of very remote antiquity. 



