among the chestnut timber over
500 years old. In the town saw a 
pair of Swallows enter a chimney. They
skimmed close over it once or twice
then fluttered down dropping out of
sight very slowly & gently. One
alighted in cap & twittered.
  To old hospital. Fine Norman church
nearly ruined by recent gaudy frescos.
Large enclosures behind with turf, elms
& a little river, brimfull, with tall
reeds & choked with aquatic plants,
the water very clear but looking as
if frozen to the bottom. I noticed this
same curious glint in the water of the
Avon yesterday. Spotted Flycatchers
here, also a Green Finch singing.
 Dinner at 7 P.M. Afterwards walked
around Cathedral, very impressive in
the twilight. A Throstle singing strongly
in a garden. The main street full of
people thrice as many as the sidewalk
would hold. Wood pigeons in market @ [at] 9d. [pence].
Winchester
July 26. Cloudless, the sun hot at
noonday; no wind whatever all day.
  Spent the forenoon writing letters.
At 3 P.M. started for Cathedral with C. [Caroline] &
E. R. S. [Elizabeth R. Simmons.] Arriving found "even song" [Evensong] service
began at 4 o'clock so walked slowly
on nearly to the college. Returning found
a gate open into the Dean's garden. A
young man, evidently the Dean's son was
sitting just outside smoking a pipe &
working at a water-color sketch. He
gave us permission to enter and we
walked entirely around the garden which
in many respects was the most beautiful
we have yet seen. In one place the walk
passed between two enormous sycamores;
their trunks quite 8 ft. [feet] in diam. [diameter] & about
6 ft [feet] apart were completely covered with ivy. At
the bottom of the garden flowed a small
swift river the water clear as air & having
the same glint as that noted yesterday.
E. [Elizabeth] looked at it with me and agreed with me
that it looked like clear ice. She