of Selborne 25 



whole circumference, 2,646 yards, or very near a mile 

 and a half. The length of the north-west and opposite side 

 is about 704 yards, and the breadth of the south-west end 

 about 456 yards. This measurement, whicli I caused to 

 be made with good exactness, gives an area of about sixty- 

 six acres, exclusive of a large irregular arm at the north- 

 east corner, which we did not take into the reckoning. 



On the face of this expanse of waters, and perfectly 

 secure from fowlers, lie all day long, in the winter season, 

 vast flocks of ducks, teals, and widgeons, of various 

 denominations ; where they preen and solace, and rest 

 themselves, till towards sunset, when they issue forth in 

 little parties (for in their natural state they are all birds 

 of the night) to feed in the brooks and meadows ; 

 returning again with the dawn of the morning. Had 

 this lake an arm or two more, and were it planted round 

 with thick covert (for now it is perfectly naked), it might 

 make a valuable decoy. 



Yet neither its extent, nor the clearness of its water, 

 nor the resort of various and curious fowls, nor its 

 picturesque groups of cattle, can render this meer so 

 remarkable as the great quantity of coins that were 

 found in its bed about forty years ago. But, as such dis- 

 coveries more properly belong to the antiquities of this 

 place, I shall suppress all particulars for the present, till 

 I enter professedly on my series of letters respecting the 

 more remote history of this village and district. 



LETTER IX 



TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQUIRE 



By way of supplement, I shall trouble you once more 

 on this subject, to inform you that Wolmer, with her 

 sister forest Ayles Holt, alias Alice Holt,^ as it is called 



^ In "Rot. Inquisit. de statu forest, in Scaccar,," 36, Ed. 3, it 

 is called Aisholt. In the same, " Tit. Woolmer and Aisholt Hantisc. 

 Dominus Rex habet unam capellam in haia sua de Kingesle." 

 ^* Haia, sepes, sephnenium, parens: a Gall, hate and haye." — 

 Spelman's Glossary. 



