OF SELBOllNE 



23 



The village of Selbome, and large ham- 

 let of Oakhanger^ with the single farms, 

 and many scattered houses along the 

 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 com- 

 fortably 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 gar- 

 dens, of which we have many ; and fell 

 and bark timber. In the spring and sum- 

 mer the women weed the corn ; and 

 enjoy a second harvest in September by 



a person has measured it for a very long period. " If I 

 ^' had only measured the rain," says he, " for the four 

 " first years, from 1740 to 1743, I should have said 

 " the mean rain at Lyndon was \Q\ inch, for the 

 "year; if from 1740 to 1750, 18^ inches. The 

 " mean rain before 1763 was 20^ ; from 1763 and 

 " since, 25\ ; from 1770 to 1780, 26. If only 1773, 

 " 1774 and 1775, had been measured, Lyndon 

 " mean rain would have been called 32 inches." 



