THE HAMPSHIRE ANTIQUARY &- NATURALIST. 



Likewise the inscribed stone mentioned by Mr. Duthy 

 in his Sketches ot Hampshire has also gone, though 

 not in late years. If a justification were wanted for 

 the compilation of a Parish History, we have it in this 

 kind of incidents. Sometimes there is no one who 

 cares for any relic of the past, or if there should be 

 the effort may be negatived by some moment of for- 

 getfulncss. Changes are going on even in our remoter 

 country villages, and a rector or vicar can scarcely do 

 better than leave at least some MS. memorial behind 

 of what he has witnessed. It is easily done, and 

 when the projected History of Hampshire is again 

 taken in hand, as we understand it is about to be, 

 every item becomes of interest and lessens the serious 

 labour of those who contemplate such an undertak- 

 ing. 



W.E. 

 Swarraton Rectory. 



THE LONG STONES, MOTTISTONE. 



Having read in the Hampshire Independent of 

 Saturday last an article on Folk Lore, I venture to 

 send you a copy of a tale that I expect will be new to 

 you. About ten years ago I went to Mottistone for 

 the purpose of surveying the " Long Stones." After 

 my return home I wrote the lines, of which the en- 

 closed is a copy. If you think it worth giving publicity 

 to in any way it is at your service. 



The stones are supposed to be the remains of a 

 Celtic cairn or cromlech. The one standing erect is 

 thirteen feet by six leet six inches, and twenty feet in 

 circumference ; the smaller one, lying on the ground, 

 is seven feet long. 



JOHN DORE. 



8, Castle-road, Newport, I.W., Nov. 24, 1890. 



THE LONG STONES, MOTTISTONE, I.W. 



A LEGEND. 



A giant on St. Catherine's stood 

 Alone one day in surly mood, 

 Thinking no one so strong as he, 

 Whatever his size or strength may be. 

 While standing there an old man came, 

 Who like a friend called him by name, 

 Then asked, " Why stand you idle here 

 What makes you so displeased appear? " 

 " What right have you," the giant said, 

 " To question me ? I'll cleave your head 

 If you do not at once declare 

 From whence you came and who you are." 

 " Oh ! oh ! " the old man said, " I know 

 Your size and strength make you boast so, 

 Yet I feel not the least alarm 

 You have not power to do me harm." 

 More fiercely then the giant said, 

 " I tell you plain I'll take your head 

 " From off your shoulders, quickly too 

 It shall be proved what I can do. 

 Now tell m who you are, I pray, 

 And why you talk to me this way." 

 " Oh ! oh ! " the old man said again, 

 "You do not know me, it is plain, 



That's why you dare so boasting be, 



And speak in threatening terms to me. 



Now I tell you without delay 



Who 'tis that talks with you to-day. 



1 from the lower regions came, 



Therefore need not tell you my name. 



Thus far I'm come that we may try 



Who is the stronger, you or I. 



'Tis very easy thus to know 



If we try which can further throw." 



To this the giant did agree 



With hopes that he should victor be. 



So with both hamls a rock he took 



And quickly hurled it near to Brook. 



It now lies flat upon the hill, 



Just as it did when there it fell. 



The old man then threw with one hand 



The rock which now doth upright stand. 



As it was laiger, farther thrown 



The giant was obliged to own 



The old man had the victory won, 



And himself fairly was outdone, 



Which so annoyed him, some folks say, 



He died of grief that very day. , 



The old man vanished from the hill, 



But where he went no one can tell. 



This wondrous tale may some amuse. 



They may believe it if they choose, 



But I do not, and trust but few 



Will deem such foolish stories true. 



J. DORE. 



SAND MARTIN. 



The Rev. H. D. Gordon, of Harting, whose notes 

 on local birds form an interesting weekly feature of 

 the West Sussex Gazette^ writes to this week's issue of 

 that paper that Mr. C. E. Ticehurst, of Petersfield, 

 reports that a sand martin was seen on November 6 

 at Capt. Wells's, Heath Lodge, Petersfield. 



WOODEN WATER MAIN AT SOUTHAMPTON. 



I read in the Southern Echo that Mr. T. W. Shore, 

 in announcing at the Hartley Council meeting the 

 gift to the Hartley Institution of a section of the 

 wooden pipes by which water was formerly brought 

 into the town of Southampton, said that the pipe was 

 probably 200 3'ears old. I ^liouid like to know his 

 authority (or the date. H. 



[It is not for us to settle Mr. Shore's " authority " 

 for our correspondent, who probably read the Note 

 we had on this s:>me subject on November i, in 

 answer to a suggestion by " P." that these old tree 

 pipes were laid down " hundreds of years ago." We 

 then stated that the wooden water main connected 

 the town with the little circular reservoir made at the 

 back of the Cowherds Inn in 1804. As, however, 

 Mr. Shore fixes a " probable " age for the pipes 

 before this, we may go farther by stating that the 

 very fact of the main having been carried through the 

 eastern opening of the Bargate of itself disproves the 

 suggestion that they are really so old as stated. The 



