The Natural History of Selborne

Five great white sea-gulls flew over the village toward the forest.

The heat overcomes the grass-mowers & makes them sick.  There was not rain enough in the village to lay the dust.  The water in my well rises!  tho’ we draw so much daily!  watered much.  No dew, sun, & hase, rusty sunshine!  The tempest on friday night did much damage at West-meon, & burnt down three houses and a barn.  The tempests round on thursday and friday nights were very aweful!  There was vast hail on friday night in several places.  Some of the standard honey-suckles, which a month ago were so sweet & lovely, are now loathsome objects, being covered with aphides, & viscous honey-dews.  Gardens sadly burnt.

About 8 o’clock on the evening of the 10th a great tempest arose in the S.W. which steered-off to the N.W.: another great storm went to the N.E. with continued thunder, & lightening.  About 10 another still heavier tempest arose to the S.E. & divided, some part going for Bramshot & Headley, & Farnham, & the rest for Alresford, Basingstoke, &c.  The lightening towards Farnham was prodigious.  It sunk all away before midnight.  Vast showers around us but none here.

Bees have thriven well this summer, being assisted by the honey-dews, which have abounded this year.

The young cuckow sits upon the nest, which will no longer contain.

Some young martins came out of the nest over the garden-door.  This nest was built in 1777, & has been used ever since. As the summer has been dry, & we have drawn much water for the garden, I caused my well to be plumbed, & found we have yet 13 feet of water.  When we were measuring I was desirious of trying the depth of Bentham’s well, which becomes dry every summer; & was surprized to find it 25 feet shallower than my own: the former being only 38 feet deep, & the latter 63.

Tim: Turner bought, & carryed-off my St foin, the 16th crop.  It was over-ripe, & not so large a burden as the last.  The St foin was all run to seed.  The garden wants rain.

Mr Richardson’s garden abounds with fruit, which ripens a fortnight before mine.  His kitchen-crops are good, tho’ the soil is so light & sandy.  Sandy soil much better for garden-crops than chalky.

The foliage on most trees this year is bad.  Vast damage this day by lightening in many counties!! Great thunder-shower at Lymington, & in the New forest, & in Wilts, & Dorest, & at Birmingham, & Edinburg.

Thatched the hay-rick. Mr & Mrs Brown & Niece Anne Barker left me. Tremendous thunder-storms in Oxford-shire & Cambridge-shire!