The Natural History of Selborne

Mr & Mrs Richardson came.

Fire in the parlor.

Towards the end of June they haad snow in Austria, & the vines were frozen.

The wind broke-off a great bough from Molly White’s horse-chestnut tree.

Dark & chilly, rain.  Cold and comfortless.

Narrow-leaved iris, cornflag, & purple martagons blow.  Butter-fly orchids in the hanger.

Phallus impudicus, a stink-pot comes up in Mr. Burbey’s asparagus-bed.  Received a Hogsh: of port-wine, imported at Southampton.

On this day arrived here from India Mr Charles Etty. In his passage out, the ship he belonged to was burnt off the Island of Ceylon. He came back from Madras to the Cape of good hope in the Exeter man of war; & from thence worked his passage in the Content transport, which brought him to Spit-head. The Exeter was so crazy, & worn-out, that they broke her up, & burnt her at the Cape. Mr Ch Etty brought home two species of Humming-birds which he shot at the Cape of good hope; & two Ostrich eggs from the same place: several fine shells from Joanna island & several turtle’s eggs from the Isle of Ascension. Also the Graphalium squarrosum, a curious Cudweed, from a Dutch-mans garden at the Cape. Turtle’s eggs are round, & white; a little variegated with fine streaks of red, & as large as the eggs of a kite; perhaps larger.

Men wash their sheep.  Hoed carrots, parsneps, &c.  Received 5 gallons & a quart of French brandy from Mr Edmd Woods.

Sold my St foin again to Timothy Turner; it looks well, & is in bloom.  The 17th crop.  The buyer is to cut it when he pleases.