Jersey^ Guernsey, Aldemey, and Sark. 67 
as originallj granted. Widows during their lifetime enjoy one- 
third of the entire property. About SOO acres of land are in 
cnltiration, and it is computed that tTro-thirds of the produce 
are exported. The soil is a rerv rich loam, extremely well 
adapted for root crops ; the principal root grown is the parsnip, 
which is employed for fattening oxen and pigs : the manure em- 
ployed as in all the other islands is seaweed. The cattle here 
are not so much thought of as in the other islands, nor is the 
same attentfon paid to them. The horses are small and rough, 
not unlike mountain ponies, and the native sheep are singularly 
small. Cider is also manufacturetl to a certain extent, but for 
quality little can be said in its favour. In Sark almost every 
proprietor possesses his boat, for the Sarkese all turn their atten- 
tion to fishine, and everv article which is not the produce of the 
island has to be imported from Guernsey. 
Altogether Sark is a remarkable spot. The lord of the manor 
is the sole impropriator of tithes : he receives the tenth sheaf 
of wheat, barlev, oats, peas, and likewise the same of wool and 
lamb. Sark forms part of the bailiwick of Guernsey, and is 
under its jurisdiction in civil, military, and ecclesiastical matters; 
bat the local management is vested in the Seigneur and his forty 
tenants, who together compose an Assembly, which sits three 
times every vear. 
Little can be said of Sark in an agricultural point of view ; the 
farms are small, and the system which they follow is the same 
that was introducetl by its earlv inhabitants, who were natives of 
Jersey. The island was ceded by Queen Elizabeth to Helier de 
Carteret, one' of the members of the J^t. Ouen family, Jersey, 
for services rendered to his country. The inhabitants being ex- 
clusively engaged in fishing and agriculture, it is not to be 
wondered at that solitude should have proved an obstacle to im- 
provement. The natives do not differ from their ancestors in 
customs and manners, but continue to pursue their course 
through life in the same way. It is a fact worth mentioning 
that the jail of Sark is rarely tenanted. The people are well- 
disposed, and have few temptations to immorality. 
It has often been thought by visitors that, if building leases 
were granted for a long dale on certain parts of the seignorial 
estates, the value of property would be enhanced ; but persons 
better acquainted with the minutiae of the island are of opinion 
that the prosperity of Sark would end, should the law on landed 
property be altered. 
Beaumont, Jersey, 1859. 
