NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 15 



wool, for making of barragons, a genteel corded stuff, much 

 in vogue at that time for summer wear ; and chiefly 

 manufactured at Alton, a neighbouring town, by some 

 of the people called Quakers ; but from circumstances this 

 trade is at an end.* The inhabitants enjoy a good share 

 of health and longevity ; and the parish swarms with 

 children. 



LETTER YI. 



Should I omit to describe with some exactness the forest 

 of Wolmer, of which three-fifths perhaps lie in this parish, 

 my account of Selborne would be very imperfect, as it is a 

 district abounding with many curious productions, both 

 animal and vegetable ; and has often afforded me much 

 entertainment both as a sportsman and as a naturalist. 



The royal forest of Wolmer is a tract of land of about 

 seven miles in length, by two and a-half in breadth, running 

 nearly from north to south, and is abutted on — to begin to 

 the south, and so to proceed eastward — by the parishes of 

 Greatham, Lysse, Rogate, and Trotton, in the county of 

 Sussex ; by Bramshot, Hedleigh, and Kingsley. This 

 royalty consists entirely of sand covered with heath and 

 fern ; but is somewhat diversified with hills and dales, 

 without having one standing tree in the whole extent. In 

 the bottoms, where the waters stagnate, are many bogs, 

 which formerly abounded with subterraneous trees ; though 

 Dr. Plot says positively,! that "there never were any 



* Since the passage above was written, I am happy in being able to 

 say that the spinning employment is a little revived, to the no small 

 comfort of the industrious housewife. 



t See his Hist07'y of Staffordshire, 



