394 Natural History of 
visited by persons from the metropolis, or,-in short, by any 
travellers. The manners of its inhabitants are in consequence 
very unsophisticated : they are kind and hospitable beyond 
what we meet with in more polished society. 
The whole of the neighbourhood 1 is situated upon an argil- 
laceous slate, which, in this parish, principally dips to ihe 
S.E. This slate is in most places regularly divided by nar- 
row veins of white flint, called by the inhabitants Whitacre 
stone. In the north part of the parish, where the land is 
high, this stone much abounds, and the soil from that cause 
is poor and sterile. The greatest part of the parish consists 
of clay slate, which, when decomposed (as it does readily), 
forms ‘good corn land, and produces fine orchards. On the 
N.E. corner, the slate is surmounted by a red sandstone, on 
which is found some of the finest pasturage in the district. 
The land is principally cultivated in pasture, some corn land, 
and orchards; with but little wood, except Slapton WwW. PRG 
which contains about 50 acres, and a few small coppices. 
There is an extensive piece of water, called Slapton Lea, 
or Ley, connected with which are several circumstances inte- 
resting to the naturalist. It is situated in the parishes of Black- 
awton, Slapton, and Stokenham. Its length from Streetgate, 
in the parish of Blackawton, on the north, to Torcross on the 
south, is 2 miles 3 furlongs; the greatest width is about the 
third of a mile; and it contains rather more than 207 acres. 
It runs parallel to the shores of Start Bay, from which it is 
separated by a low narrow sand-bank, called Slapton Sands, 
the greatest width of which is 165 yards, the least 77 yards. 
It is fed by three small rivulets: one runs into it at the 
north, or Streetgate end, and is the most considerable of the 
three ; another empties Teale about the middle of the Ley; 
and the smallest at the south, or Torcross end. In the lan- 
guage of the South Hams, these small streams, mill streams, 
and even the gutters by which the pastures are irrigated, are, 
by a strange perversion of terms, called lakes. 
The water thus accumulated forms the Lea, which has no 
visible outlet into the bay, and discharges itself by percolating 
through the sand. At about a mile from Streetgate, the Lea 
is crossed by Slapton Bridge, which divides it into two parts: 
the part north of the bridge is called the upper, containing 
rather more than 23 acres; the south portion, the lower Teen, 
containing 184 acres. The upper Lea is entirely overgrown 
by the Arindo Phragmites, Scirpus lactstris, Sparganium 
ramosum, S. eréctum, and similar aquatic plants. Through 
these reeds, &c. (in which are bred great numbers of wild 
ducks, coots, dabchicks, water hens, water rails, &c. &c.) 
