AfV GARDEN. 



The drift bed, extending from Croydon to my garden, shows that at 

 a former period of the earth's history a great volume of water passed 

 down the Wandle ; and Mr. Tylor supposes there was a pluvial period 

 when not less than 300 inches of rain fell per annum, which washed the 

 flints from the chalk and carried them down the ancient river to form 

 this bed, which is a mile wide at Beddington Park. 



The Wandle, taken as a whole, is the perfection of a river ; its water 

 is as bright as crystal, and is purity itself. It does not overflow with 

 rain, nor is it deficient in dry weather. It does not freeze in winter, 

 nor does it become very hot in summer. It has existed through all 

 historic times ; and as long as the chalk retains its porosity, and is pro- 

 tected by a bed of clay underneath and a bed of blue clay on that 

 portion of its upper surface which is most depressed, and as long as 

 rain falls upon the more elevated portion, so long will the water 

 continue to ooze from the earth by day and by night, by summer 

 and by winter, and to run its course as the River Wandle, and it 

 may thus exclaim in the words of the poet — 



" Men may come and men may go ; but I go on for ever.'' 



Tennyson. 



yirn. F//.— Interior of Beddington Hall. 



