NATURAL HISTORY 
hundred feet above the village; and is divided into a fheep down^ 
the high wood, and a long hanging wood called 'The Hanger. The 
covert of this eminence is altogether beech, the moft lovely of all 
foreft trees, whether we conlider it's fmooth rind or bark, it's 
gloffy foliage, or graceful pendulous boughs. The down, or 
Iheep-walk, is a pleahng park-like fpot, of about one mile by half 
that fpace, jutting out on the verge of the hill-country, where it 
begins to break down into the plains, and commanding a very 
engaging view, being an aflemblage of hill, dale, wood-lands, 
heath, and water. The profpedl is bounded to the fouth-eaft 
and eaft by the vaft range of mountains called The Suffex Downs, 
by Guild-dozvn near Guildford, and by the Dozvns round Dorking, 
and Ryegate in Surrey, to the north-eafl, which altogether, with 
the country beyond Alton and Farnham, form a noble and ex- 
tenfive outline. 
At the foot of this hill, one ftage or ftep from the uplands, lies 
the village, which confifts of one hngle draggling ftreet, three 
quarters of a mile in length, in a flieltered vale, and running 
parallel with The Hanger. The houfes are divided from the hill 
by a vein of ftiff clay (good wheat-land), yet ftand on a rock of 
white ftone, little in appearance removed from chalk; but feems 
fo far from being calcaribus, that it endures extreme heat. Yet 
that the freeftone ftill preferves fomewhat that is analogous to 
chalk, is plain from the beeches which defcend as low as thofe 
rocks extend, and no farther, and thrive as well on them, where 
the ground is fteep, as on the chalks. 
The cart-way of the village divides, in a remarkable manner, 
two very incongruous foils. To the fouth-weft is a rank clay, 
that requires the labour of years to render it mellow; while the 
gardens to the north-eaft, and fma,ll enclofures behind, conlift of a 
warni 
