ESSEX OPPOSITE GRAVESEND. 36 1 



in Sweden, but small hand-shears ; in cutting Barley and 

 oats, however, the Scythe, Lja,* was used. 



The iron of the hand-shears which they had, was 

 crooked as in ours, but only about half as wide, so that 

 it might so much the easier be able to be stuck in among 

 the crop. On the under side they were not sharpened 

 evenly along the edge, but they had small teeth filed with 

 a fine file quite close together and running obliquely 

 across the edge of the shears. There is no doubt that 

 the straw must come off much faster, as well as remain 

 steady when they are cutting it. 



On the upper side it was ground quite even at the 

 edge. 



[T. II. p. 5. J Lia. The Scythe that was used here 

 to mow grass with was very large and broad in the blade 

 because it could not otherwise so easily overcome the 

 resistance of the thick grass-growth which there is on a 

 great part of the English meadows. 



We measured a scythe whose blade was 3 feet 8 inches 

 long, and 2% inches wide. In the evening we returned to 

 Gravesend. 



[T. II. p. 23. J Essex, midt mot Gravesend. 

 The U July, 1748. 



In the morning we crossed the river to Essex to see 

 what there was to be seen. 



Akrar. On the lowland places, near the river 

 Thames, some of the arable fields were now lying fallow. 

 They were ploughed quite fiat, but full of water-furrows 

 lengthwise, about 10 feet between two furrows. The soil 

 was a grey clay, Jordmon var en gra lera. Some 

 small Pebblestones appeared here and there. In some 



* The large scythe used in Yorkshire and the north is still called the 

 'lea.' [J. L.] 



