NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 189 



of these vagabonds ; for Mr. Bell, in his return from 

 Pekiii, met a gang of those people on the confines of 

 Tartary, who were endeavouring to penetrate those deserts 

 and try their fortune in China. 



Gypsies are called in French, Bohemians ; in Italian and 

 modern Greek, Zingari. 



LETTER XXVI. 



Selborxe, Nov. \st, 1775. 



** Hie . . . taedfe pingues, hie pluriiDus if;nis 

 Semper, et assidua postes fuligine nigri." 



I SHALL make no apology for troubling you with the detail 

 of a very simple piece of domestic economy, being satisfied 

 that you think nothing beneath your attention that tends 

 to utility. The matter alluded to is the use of rushes 

 instead of candles, which I am well aware prevails in many 

 districts besides this ; but as I know there are countries 

 also where it does not obtain, and as I have considered the 

 subject with some degree of exactness, I shall proceed 

 in my humble story, and leave you to judge of the 

 expediency. 



The proper species of rush for this purpose seems to be 

 the Juncus conglomeratus, or common soft rush, which is to 

 be found in most moist pastures, by the sides of streams, and 

 under hedges. These rushes are in best condition in the 

 height of summer, but may be gathered, so as to serve the 

 purpose well, quite on to autumn. It would be needless 

 to add that the largest and longest are best. Decayed 

 labourers, women, and children make it their business to 

 procure and prepare them. As soon as they are cut, they 



