PREFACE. ix 



taken on the fpot, from the mouths of 

 gentlemen or farmers who refuie in the 

 diftri&s, they defcribe— that the ac- 

 counts are however perfect, cannot be 

 expected — they are proportionally fo to 

 the fagacity, information, and expe- 

 rience of the perfonwho fpeaks. When 

 my intelligence was received from a 

 company of gentlemen, I always wait- 

 ed for their fettling among tVemfelves. 

 any difference of opinion before I en- 

 tered the minute; and if they did not 

 agree, took the average of the fums or 

 quantities in queftion. 



The unbounded hofpltality of a 

 kingdom in which every country gen- 

 tleman is by neceffity a farmer, left me 

 under very few difficulties, in gaining 

 intelligence : but I did not trull entire- 

 ly to this fource, having upon mod oe- 

 cafions common farmers fummoned to 

 afiift at the confutations, the defign of 

 which was my information. Nor did 

 I neglect opportunities of making en- 

 quiries of the cottagers, and of exa- 

 mining 



