xg6  Dr.  white’s  Experiments 
Befidesthe  navigable  river  Ouze,  we  have  a brook  called 
the  Fofs,  which,  riling  about  twelve  miles  Eaftwards  of  the 
city,  runs  towards  it,  and,  wafhing  the  caftle  walls,  emp- 
ties itfelf  into  the  Ouze.  This  ftream,  after  floods  and  in 
winter,  overflows  a large  quantity  of  land,  which  in  fum- 
mer  and  autumn  becomes  an  offenfive,  ftinking  morals, 
almoft  furrounding  the  Eaft  part  of  the  city.  The  unr 
healthfulnefs  of  the  evaporation  from  fome  hundred 
acres  of  ftinking  mud,  is  farther  increafed  by  its  being 
made  a receptacle  for  all  kinds  of  naftinefs ; in  this  re- 
fpect  we  are  more  remifs  than  our  anceftors.  This  has 
been  its  ftate  many  ages:  leland  thus  fpeaks  of  it, 
Fojfa  amnis  piger , injlar  Jlagnantis  aqua  collegia  ex  pluvid 
et  terra  uligine,  originem  habet  See.”  In  the  thirtieth  year 
of  edward  the  third,  before  the  king  at  York,  divers 
perfons  were  punifhed  for  eredting  pore  aria  [hog’s-ftyes] 
upon  the  banks  of  the  fofs : and  in  henry  the  fourth’s  time 
the  throwing  in  of  dung  and  other  naftinefs  into  the  fofs 
was  forbid  under  the  fevere  fine  of  one  hundred  pounds, 
as  we  find  in  drake’s  Fboracum.  This  wras  all  done  for 
the  prefervation  of  the  fifh ; I wifh  it  was  now  attended 
to  for  a more  important  purpofe.  The  draining  of  it  has 
been  fome  time  in  agitation,  the  utility  of  which  is 
obvious,. 
The 
