The Natural History of Selborne

The planet Venus, which became an evening star in June, but was not visible ’til lately, now makes a resplendent appearance.  On Selborne down are many oblong tumuli, some what resembling graves but larger, supposed by the country people to be the earth of saw-pits.  But as they mostly lie one way from S.E. to N.W. & are many of them very near to each other, it is most probably that they were occasioned by some purpose of a different kind.  My bro. Tho. ordered two to be dug across; one of which produced nothing extra-ordinary; while in the other was found a blackish substance: but how, & in what quantity it lay, & whether it consisted of ashes & cinders, or of humus animalis, we had no opportunity to examine from the precipitancy of the labourer, who filled up the trench he had opened without giving proper notice of the occurence.