WOLMER POND. 19 



occurrences, did not let this pleasing circumstance escape him. 

 He says, in his Summer, 



A various group the herds and flocks compose : 



on the grassy bank 



Some, ruminating, lie ; while others stand 

 Half in the flood, and, often bending, sip 

 The circling surface. 



Wolmer Pond so called, I suppose, for eminence sake 

 is a vast lake for this part of the world, containing, in its whole 

 circumference, two thousand six hundred and forty-six yards, 

 or very near a mile and a half. The length of the north-west 

 and opposite side is about seven hundred and four yards, and 

 the breadth of the south-west end, about four hundred and 

 fifty-six yards. This measurement, which 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.* 



LETTER IX. 



TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQ. 



BY way of supplement, I shall trouble you once more on 

 this subject, to inform you that Wolmer, with her sister forest, 



These coins were all copper, as were also some medallions which 



" ~ome; some 

 ise were of 



were found at the same time, all of the lower Empire of Rome ; some 

 dozens of which fell to the share of Mr White. Part of thes 



Marcus Aurelius, and his empress, Faustina. ED. 



