166 CORRESPONDENCE WITH HIS FAMILY. 



The late election at Salisbury has done my nep. John 

 much honour ; but neither he nor his mother is elated on the 

 occasion, because he quits a little certain business in hopes of 

 greater. He certainly was getting ground at Alton. Should 

 he succeed at Sarum, there will be more field-room for getting 

 money than in our poor rough district ; and so there had 

 need ; for the infirmary brings neither salary nor emolument, 

 but only credit, from the supposition that the surgeon is a 

 man of skill and merit in his profession. 



Bro. Tho. is here, and Bro. and sister Ben. and Mary at 

 Newton : they join in respects. I am glad to hear that Mr. 

 and Mrs. Brown have left Uppingham. I am, with all due 

 respects, 



Your affectionate uncle, 



GIL. WHITE. 



Our hop-planters returned from Weyhill fair with cheerful 

 faces, and full purses, having sold a large crop of hops for a 

 good price. The reason was because the Kentish hops, which 

 were a fortnight behind, were blown away by the tempests. 

 The parish of Selborne will be much benefitted by the hop 

 plantations, to the amount, some say, of near £2000. The 

 women had a fine picking, and earned 2s. 6d. pr day. Uncle 

 Harry has built him a hermitage at Fyfield, on which Sam 

 White has written a good copy of verses. Mr. Twopeny is 

 just married. 



LETTER XLVI. 



TO THOMAS BARKER, ESQ. 



Selborne, Jan. 10, 1787. 

 Dear Sir, 

 I have herewith sent you the Selborne rain, an account of 

 which, I think, has been kept very exactly, but know nothing 

 of the Fyfield and S. Lambeth rain. There fell such a glut of 

 rain in the beginning of Oct. that men were in some pain about 



