THE REV. JOHN WHITE. 17 



the evening came a violent thunderstorm, which about London 

 did great damage. Jack and I were all that week at Mr. 

 Mulso's at Meonstoke. In the night between the 18th and 

 19th of August there was a violent thunderstorm from the 

 north, which damaged all our hops to a great degree, and 

 particularly Sir S. Stuart's, which were very fine. Hops will 

 be dear and bad. 



Mrs. W. Isaac is with me at present. She brought her 

 son Bap. that he might stand for a scholarship of TVinton 

 College : we went this week and left him with the usher, 



O 7 



where he is to continue as a commoner 'til taken into college. 



My wall has produced about 10 dozen of most lovely 

 peaches and nectarines ; and I have a fine show of grapes. 



I have written to Mr. Twisse and invited him to come ; but 

 he says he cannot possibly be spared from the fortifications 

 'til winter. 



Swifts left us about the hot week. Young martins con- 

 tinue to come out daily. 



Mr. Etty's Portugal brother is here at present. How can 

 Mr. Curtis* leave his shop, and go to Gibraltar in pursuit of 

 natural history ? 



Jack makes English themes and writes letters. We have 

 gone through Phaed. and now read Virgil's Georg. and 

 Sallust. 



Mr. Lever, I find, is an excellent ornithologist. If we are 

 to correspond, who is to break the ice ? and on what subjects 

 are we to exchange thoughts ? He will, I hope, study system. 



We have now a very wet and windy season, a sad time for 

 barley-harvest and hop-picking. Most of our wheat was 

 housed in very nice order. 



I have some hopes of seeing Skinner soon. 



Mrs. Isaac and niece Molly White, who came with her, join 

 in respects. 



Your affect, brother, 



GIL. WHITE. 



* [The well-known nurseryman and botanist, author of the magnifi- 

 cent ' Flora Londinensis ' and of ' Lectures on Botany,' in three volumes. 

 — T. B.] 



VOL. II. C 



