POOE. 25 



verge of the forest, contain upwards of six hundred and 

 seventy inhabitants. 



"We abound with poor ; many of whom are sober and 

 industrious, and live comfortably, in good stone or brick 

 cottages, which are glazed, and have chambers above stairs ; 

 mud buildings we have none. Besides the employment from 

 husbandry, the men work in hop gardens, of which we have 

 many ; and fell and bark timber. In the spring and summer 

 the women weed the com ; and enjoy a second harvest in 

 September by hop-piekiag. Eormerly, in the dead months, 

 they availed themselves greatly by spinning wool, for making 

 of tarragons, a genteel corded stuff, much in vogue at that 

 time for summer wear ; and chiefly manufactured at Alton, 

 a neighbouring town, by some of the people called Quakers. 

 The inhabitants enjoy a good share of health and longevity , 

 and the parish swarms with children. 



LETTEE YI. 



TO THE SAME. 



ShotjIjD I omit to describe with some exactness the Forest 

 of "Wohner, of which three-fifths perhaps lie in this parish, 

 my account of Selborne would be very imperfect, as it is a 

 district abounding with many curious productions, both 

 animal and vegetable; and has often afforded me much 

 entertainment, both as a sportsman and as a naturalist.* 



The royal Forest of "Wohner is a tract of land of about 

 seven miles ia length, by two and a half in breadth, running 

 nearly from north tp south, and is abutted on — to begui to 

 the south, and so to proceed eastward — ^by the parishes of 

 Grreatham, Lysse, Rogate, and Trotton, in the county of 

 Sussex ; by Bramshot, Hedleigh, and Kingsley. This royalty 



* Wolmer Forest has partly been enclosed and planted by the Crown, and 

 the shooting over it, with the large pond, so often mentioned by Mr. White, 

 leased to Sir Charles Taylor, Bart., of HoUycombe. — Ed. 



