J2 THE]FORESTS OF ENGLAND. 



itself into four parts. That district which lies north of this 

 imaginary line we may call one part ; the river Av on and • 

 Lymington river mark the boundaries of a second ; Lym- 

 ington river and Beaulieu river of a third ; and the 

 country between this last river and the bay of South- 

 ampton may be considered as a fourth. 



" When I spoke of forests in general as consisting of 

 large tracts of heathy land and carpet-lawns interspersed 

 with woods, I had a particular view to the scenery of New 

 Forest, which is precisely of this kind. Its lawns and 

 woods are every where divided by large districts of heath. 

 Many of these woods have formerly been, as many of the 

 heaths at present are, of vast extent, running several 

 miles without interruption. Different parts too, both of 

 the open and of the woody country, are so high as to com- 

 mand extensive distances, though no part can in any de- 

 gree assume the title of mountainous. 



" Along the banks of the Avon, from Ringwood to the 

 sea, the whole surface is flat, enclosed, and cultivated. 

 There is little beauty in this part. Eastward from Christ- 

 church, along the coast as far as to the estuary of Lyming- 

 ton river, we have also a continued flat. Much heathy 

 ground is interspersed, but no woody scenery, except in 

 some narrow glen through which a rivulet happens to find 

 its way io the sea. In two or three of these there is some 

 beauty. Here the coast, which is exposed to the ocean, 

 and formed by the violence of storms, is edged by a broken 

 cliff, from which are presented grand sea-views, somtimes 

 embellished with winding shores. As we leave the coast, 

 and ascend more into the, midland parts of this division, 

 the scenery improves ; the ground is more varied, woods 

 and lawns are interspersed, and many of them are among 

 the most beautiful exhibitions of this kind which the 

 forest presents. 



" In the next division, which is contained between the 

 rivers of Lymington and Beaulieu, we have also great 

 variety of beautiful country. The coast, indeed, is flat 

 and unedged with cliff, as it lies opposite to the Isle of 



