S94 Natu7'al Historic 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 is situated upon an argil- 

 laceous slate, which, in this parish, jn'incipally dips to the 

 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 Wood, 

 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 Baj^, 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 itself 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 Lea, 

 containing 184 acres. The upper Lea is entirely overgrown 

 by the ^riindo Phragmites, iScirpus lacustris, »Sparganium 

 ramosum, S. erectum, 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.) 



