( '83 ) 



the evening before, we had only obtained a 

 general idea. 



The woods of Exbury, which are extenfive, 

 are chiefly oak — the fpontaneous growth of the 

 country : but Mr. Mitford found many of the 

 bare, and barren fpots about his houfe planted 

 by his father, and grandfather, with fir-groves 

 of various kinds ; tho generally, according to 

 the fafhion of the times, in formal rows. 



On a deliberate view of his grounds, he 

 formed a general plan, refulting from the 

 various fcenes they exhibited. The boun- 

 dary of his eftate prefents a feries of views 

 of three very different characters. Towards 

 the weft, he has a variety of grand river- views ; 

 formed by the Ex, or, as it is commonly 

 called, Beaulieu-river, winding, as we had 

 feen it in our voyage, through the woods 

 of Beaulieu, and Exbury in it's approach to 



the fea. The fouthern part of his boundary 



overlooks, what was anciently called, the 

 Solent-fea ; but now the channel of the ifle 

 of Wight ; which at it's two extremities 

 difcovers the open fea, through the eaflern 

 paliage by Spithead ; and through the weftern, 



by the Needles. On the eaft, and north, 



his boundary-views take a new form. We 



N 4 leave 



