81 



PREFACE 



THE favourable reception which has been accorded to 

 Random Recollections of Woodland, Fen and Hill, has 

 encouraged me to prepare another series of similar sketches. 

 In this volume, as in that just referred to, my aim has been 

 to bring under the notice of the general public, in readable 

 and untechnical language, a few of the interesting pheno- 

 mena which are to be observed everywhere around us by 

 those who take the trouble to look for them, and to give such 

 explanations of their causes as may easily be understood 

 even by those whose scientific knowledge is small. 



In selecting localities, I have chosen for three of the 

 chapters what are now historical spots, "Woodside" de- 

 scribes a ramble from Rochester to Cobham, with a visit to 

 the famous inn to which Mr. Tupman retired after being 

 jilted by Miss Wardle, the return being through Cobham 

 Park, a walk which it will be remembered was a favourite 

 with Mr. Pickwick and the Pickwickians. "Hillside" 

 describes part of that famous ground over which Mr. Winkle 

 and Mr. Tupman are said to have displayed their remark- 

 able sporting abilities; whilst " Marsh " introduces the reader 

 to those " meshes " over which Little Pip so frequently gazed 

 to the river (where lay the hulks from which the convict 

 escaped), and which the latter had to cross before his memo- 

 rable meeting with Little Pip in Cooling churchyard. 



iii 



879373 



