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WATERS.-P. 15. "The chief rivers are, the Ouse, the Adur, and the Arun; they rise in the northern parts of the county, and after dividing the chalk-hills into four or five parts, empty themselves into the Channel; the first at Newhaven, the second near Shoreham, and the third at Little Hampton. Although comparatively small, they render the greatest benefit to the county at large, by furnishing points of connexion for the canals already finished, or in agitation."

SOILS.-Chalk Hills.-P. 5. "The soil of the South Downs varies according to its situation. On the summit is usually found (more especially in the eastern parts) a very fleet earth; the substratum chalk, and over that a surface of chalk rubble, covered with a light stratum of vegetable calcareous mould. Sometimes along the summit of the Downs there is merely a covering of flints, upon which the turf spontaneously grows. Advancing down the hills, the soil becomes of a deeper staple, and at the bottom is every where a surface of very good depth for ploughing. Here the loam is excellent, nine or ten inches in depth, and the chalk hardish and broken, and mixed with loam in the interstices, to the depth of some feet, which must make it admirable land for sainfoin.

"West of the river Arun, the soil above the chalk is very gravelly, intermixed with large flints. Between the rivers Adur and Ouse, a substratum of reddish sand is discovered; the usual depth of the soil above, the chalk, varies in almost every acre of land, from one inch to a foot. The general average between Eastbourne and Shoreham, does not exceed five inches. West of Shoreham the staple is deeper, and between Arundel and Hampshire the soil is deeper still."

P. 6. At the northern extremity of these chalk hills, and usually extending the same length as the Downs, is a slip of very rich and stiff arable land, but of very inconsiderable breadth: it runs for some distance into the vale, before it meets the clay. The soil of this narrow slip is an excessively stiff calcareous loam on a clay bottom: it adheres so much to the share, and is so very difficult to plough, that it is not an unusual sight to observe ten or a dozen stout oxen, and sometimes more, at work upon it."

This is the "maam" of Sussex-the "black land" of Surrey-the "coom" of Kent, &c.; and is probably an adjunct-the base-of every chalk hill in the island.

Soils of the Sea-coast of Sussex. (See p. 453, aforegoing.)-P. 6. "South of these hills is an extensive arable vale of singular fertility. This maritime district, extend

ing from Brighthelmstone to Emsworth, 36 miles, is at first of a very trifling breadth, between Brighton and Shoreham."

The Reporter proceeds to describe the soil, &c. of this singular district; but not, to my apprehension, satisfactorily. See my SOUTHERN COUNTIES.

Soils of "the Weald" of Sussex.-Under this vague head is included, not merely the vale lands, or Weald proper, of Sussex; but the whole of the Wild country, above spoken of;-extending from the confine of Hampshire, nearly to that of East Kent-a distance, as has been said above, of more than sixty miles ;-the district of Petworth being immerged in the general mass of mountain, upland, valley, and vale (a singular specimen of chaotic territory); comprizing lands of every description, from the most glutinous clay, to the loosest most barren sand.

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P. 8. The soil of the Weald is generally a very stiff loam upon a brick clay bottom, and that again upon sandstone. Upon the range of hills running through the county in a north-west direction, the soil is different. It is here either sandy loam upon a sandy gritstone, or it is a very poor black vegetable sand on a soft clay marl. A great proportion of these hills is nothing better than the poorest barren sand. St. Leonard's Forest contains 10,000 acres of it, and Ashdown 18,000 more, besides many thousand acres more in various other parts of the county.

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"The depth of the sand on those rabbit-warrens is various full 12 inches in many places: the soft clay, which in its outward appearance resembles marl, is much deeper. In the neighbourhood of Handcross, upon St. Leonard's, this substratum is several feet in depth, as may be seen on the declivity of a new road lately made by Mr. Marcus Dixon. An extensive tract of this unimproved sandy soil, stretching into Kent on one side, and, with some intersection of cultivation, into Hampshire on the other, and calling loudly for improvement, occupies chiefly the northern division of the county. I do not affirm that this unproductive soil is united from one end of the county to the other, since it is broken into and intersected by interventions of the clay district; but it is usually to be met with running east and west at the north side of the county. It is commonly understood to form a part of the Weald, which in its utmost extent comprehends all that district of Sussex at the foot of the South Down hills, or within two or three miles of them. In its more appropriate signification, it has reference to the deep and heavy clay loam district, being bounded to the west by

the

the Arun."-No:-The principal branch of the Arun runs through the middle of the vale lands of West Sussex. Its waters, excepting what the Rother supplies, are chiefly collected within the Weald proper of Sussex and Surrey.

In the "APPENDIX" (apparently written by another and a better pen) we are favored, in a few words well arranged, with the subjoined intelligent information, concerning the central and eastern parts of the passage of country, now under view.

P. 473. "Nothing can be more various than the soil of the Weald. In the range of black mountainous land which stretches from the neighbourhood of Tunbridge Wells, under the names of Waterdown, Ashdown, Tilgate, and St. Leonard's forests, the soil is generally bad; a considerable part incorrigible at any expence that will repay the cultivator, and would be most profitable for the growth of birch. But the country between that range and the South Downs, contains much good land, rich sandy loam, and fertile clay, generally mixed with some sand: capable of producing every kind of crop."

Soil of the Marshes of Sussex. P. 10. "Besides the soils already treated of, there is a large tract of marsh land adjacent to the sea-coast between the eastern extremity of the South Downs and Kent. The soil is a composition of rotten vegetables, intermixed with sand and other matter, collected from the floods and filth which settle on the surface. In Lewes Level this vegetable mould is at least twelve inches in thickness.

"In Pevensey Level it is many feet feet deep, and under it is a very heavy black silt, intermixed with various sorts of shells. Water-logs, stumps of trees, and timber, have been dug from Pevensey Level; trees, each containing one load, cubic measure, have been taken from Lewes marshes."

FOSSILS.-P. 10. (" Sect. V. Minerals") "Respecting the minerals of Sussex, it is not inferior to many in the production of this most valuable material. Limestones of every description are to be met with in the most eastern parts of the Weald. The Sussex marble, when cut into slabs for ornamenting chimney-pieces, &c. is equal to most in beauty and quality, when highly polished. The Earl of Egremont has several chimney-pieces at. Petworth, formed of it. It is an excellent stone for square building, and for paving is not to be exceeded. It affords a very valuable manure,

*This belongs to the most western part of the County.

manure, equal, and by some thought to be superior, to chalk, and cheaper to those who live near the place where it is dug. It is found in the highest perfection upon an estate of the Earl of Egremont's, at Kirdford, from 10 to 20 feet under ground, where it is in flakes nine or ten inches in thickness. Much of it was used in the Cathedral at Canterbury, the pillars, monuments, vaults, pavement, &c. of that venerable structure, being built of this article, called there the Petworth Marble. The Archbishop's chair is an entire piece.

"Besides the limestones of this" (?) "district, I shall set down a short account of what I had a more immediate opportunity of seeing, by observing the gradations in the earth, and mineral beds of ironstone and limestone, to the depth of 120 feet, at Ashburnham-furnace";--which is situated toward the eastern extreme of the County.

The Reporter speaks, at some length, about those beds of ironstone and limestone. But his elucidations are not sufficiently clear to the mind's eye of ordinary capacities.

Other Fossils.-P. 15. "Beside the minerals abovementioned, a vast range of hills, the composition of which is chalk, occupy a considerable part of the county, adjoining the coast. Marl is dug up on the south side of these hills, in various places. Fullers'-earth is found at Tillington, and consumed in the neighbouring fulling-mills; and red-ochre at Graffham, and in various places adjoining the sea, as Chidham, &c. much of which goes to London."

SUBJECT THE SECOND.

POLITICAL ECONOMY. APPROPRIATION.-Under this head, I place the

subjoined extract; but without knowing whether the "Wastes," therein mentioned, are or are not, appropriated. P. 187. ("Chapter Wastes.")" The tracts of land which come under the description of mere wastes, in Sussex, are very considerable; they chiefly occupy the northern side of the county: out of a portion containing, by computation, 500,000 acres, these almost desert tracts take up no less a space than 110,000 acres of it."

FUEL.-P. 413." Coal or wood, in a few places turf is used. The woods are very extensive; yet the price bas greatly increased: great quantities are made into charcoal, and still larger (of the smaller sort) burnt for lime."

The

The Reporter recommends the Rumfordization of cottage fireplaces; in order to lessen the expence of fuel. And an ingenious annotator adds the subjoined notice.

N. p. 414. "I have known a leg of mutton and turnips boiled in a wooden pail. The trick was thus performed: a six feet barrel of a fowling-piece was inserted at the muzzle in the pail, the other end placed against the fire; the water flowing to the breech of the barrel, the whole was made to boil. Quere, might not furnaces and vessels be heated in different rooms by the kitchen-fire only, by means of tubes of cast iron, with a large butt at the end conveniently fitted to be heated?—Mr. Trayton."

MANUFACTURES.-P. 431. "Sussex, in the common acceptation of the term, is not a manufacturing district. Formerly there were very extensive iron-works which flourished in the Weald, but only the remnant of them are at present in existence."

P. 432. "The manufacture of charcoal is an object of some consequence in such a county as Sussex. Large quantities are annually sent to London by land-carriage. The old process in burning has been lately laid aside,” (?) "and a new method substituted; as, after various experiments, the powder made upon this new principle, has, upon proof of its strength, been found much superior to that which was made in the old way. And accordingly this ingenious mode has been suggested to Government, by the Bishop of Llandaff, of making the charcoal in iron cylinders, of such a construction, as effectually to exclude the air."

This beautifully simplex apparatus I have seen employed. It is, I believe, understood to be the invention of DOCTOR WATSON *. If so, his rapid researches in chemistry,which gave so much offence to the orthodox, in learning, and so little satisfaction to veterans, in science,-were not made in vain.

POOR RATES.-P. 455. "The rental of the Weald of Sussex is much affected by the extravagance of the poorrates; and, comparatively with the intrinsic value of the land, there is no part of the island where it is lett at so low a price in common years the rate through a considerable district, is at ten shillings in the pound, rackrents; and during late years of scarcity, they amounted to 258., and even in some parishes to 358. in the pound, at rack-rents."-Can this be, in a "non-manufacturing district"?

* Now, the late Doctor Watson.

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