CHAP. V. 



THE LINCOLN FENS. 



155 



THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE FENNS MARKED THUS 

 ALL OTHER LINES ARE THE DRAYMES MADE 8V SIR A1 THOMAS 

 THE BRIDGES OF BRICK HAVING DORES AND iiLUICtS 

 THt BRIDGES OF BRICK HflVINC NO DOPES MARKED 

 THE CART BRIDGES OF WOOD MARKED n 



THE HORSE BRIDGES OF WOOD MARKER = 



THE MAINE 



Called the Dutch Se 



THE LINCOLNSHIRE FENS. [Before their Drainage by Mr. Rennie.] 



Matters were in this state when Sir Joseph Banks, 

 then President of the Royal Society, endeavoured to 

 stir up the landowners to undertake the drainage of 

 the district. He was the proprietor of a good estate at 

 Revesby, near Tattershall ; and his mansion of Abbot's 

 Lodge, standing on an elevated spot, overlooked the 

 waste of the East and West Fens, of which it com- 

 manded an extensive view. Sir Joseph spent a portion of 

 every year at Revesby, as he did at his other mansions, 

 leaving each at special times appointed beforehand, 

 almost with the regularity of clockwork. He was a 

 popular and well-known man, jolly and good-humoured, 

 full of public spirit, and, though a philosopher, not 

 above taking part in the sports and festivities of the 

 neighbourhood in which he resided. While Sir Joseph 

 lived at Revesby he used to keep almost open house, 



