338 Yorkshire Natural History 200 Years Ago. 
but in the boggy Part of the River Isle, called Marshland ; 
and tho’ the Villages thereabouts are pretty plentiful, and for 
them it may be of good Use ; yet ’tis not likely that it can be 
carried up higher much into the Country, because Coal is so 
much better, and but a little dearer Firing. 
The Natural History of this East Riding. 
XJATURE doth not seem to have been so kind and bountiful 
to this Part of this Shire, as to either of the two other 
Ridings, yet hath endowed it with such a Competency of 
Necessaries for Life, as may be, thro’ their Industry, sufficient 
Encouragement for their Habitation, which is shewed, not 
only by other considerable Towns, as Bridlington. Beverley, 
Headon and Patrington. but chiefly by Kingston upon Hull, a 
Merchandizing Town, equalling London itself for Traffick, 
allowing for the Differences of Extent ; which will, we hope, 
be more manifest by a particular Survey of the Elements, 
viz. the Air, Earth, Water and Fire. 
1. The Air cannot, we conceive, be altogether free from 
some feculent Vapours, which make it something noxious, 
because it is encompassed on all the Eastern, and great Part of 
the Southern Side, by the Sea and the River Humber ; but this 
Inconvenience is recompensed partly by the Fruitfulness of 
the Soil near the Sea, but more especially by the considerable 
Trade that is carried on by the Inhabitants of the Sea-coast at 
Bridlington, Hornsey, Patrington and Hull : And as to the 
other Parts of this Riding, which are remote from the Sea, the 
Hills raise the Villages and some Towns so high, that they 
seem to dwell in a more pure Air than the rest of the Riding 
near the Sea and River Derwent ; for there are no considerable 
Waters in the Midland, where the Springs of the River Hull, 
and divers little Brooks, arise and disperse themselves into other 
Parts. 
2. The Earth cannot be called Barren altogether, yet comes 
far short of the Fruitfulness of the Soil in the other Ridings, 
and most other Counties. The mountainous Part of this 
Riding, call’d York wolds, i.e. Yorkshire hills, which are 
barren, sandy and dry, uninhabited, and extending themselves 
a considerable Distance into the Wapentakes of Bainton, 
Buckcrosse, and Bickerings. At the Foot of these Woolds or 
Hills, near Bugthorp and Lcppington, are found the Stone 
called Astroites. It is dug out of a certain blew Clay on the 
Banks of a small Rivulet, between Bugthorp and the Woolds ; 
and Plenty of them are by the Rains washed into the Brook. 
The Matter of them is something like that of a Flint of a dark 
shining Politurc, but much softer. It is thought by the 
Naturalist, 
