The Natural History of Selborne

Early orange-lilies blow.  Few chafers.  The water at Kingsley mill begins to fail. The land-spring in the stoney-lane, as you go to Rood, stops.  We draw much water for the garden: the well sinks very fast.

The stream at Gracious Street, which fails every dry summer, has run briskly all this year; & now seems to be equal to the current from Well-head.  The rocky channel up the hollow-lane towards Rood has also run with water for months: nor has my great water-tub been dry the summer through.

The well at Temple is 77 feet deep: 60 to the water, & seventeen afterwards.  My well measures only 63 feet to the bottom.

Goleigh well to the water is 55 1/2 yrds  /166 feet; to the bottom 57 1/2 yrds / 172 1/2 feet; Heards well to the water is 70 2/3 yrds / 212 feet; to the bottom 83 1/3 yrds / 250 feet.

A stone was 4 1/2 seconds falling to the bottom of Heards well; & 4 seconds to the water of Goleigh.   The wells were measured accurately by the Revd. Edumund White on the 25th of August 1792, in the midst of a very wet summer.  Deep, & tremendous as is the well at Heards, John Gillman, an Ideot, fell to the bottom of it twice in one morning; & was taken out alive, & survived the strange accident many years.  Only Goleigh & Heards wells were measured by Mr E. White.

Heavy showers.  Apples fall much.  The well at Temple is 77 feet deep: 60 to the water, & 17 afterward.  My well measures only 63 feet.

Well rises very fast.

Planted one doz. of red hairy gooseberries, & one doz. of smooth amber, from Armstrong, in the quarters of the garden.  Gathered-in the grapes: decaying.  Two rills run now into my well, the water of which begins to get clear.

The late rains have not had any influence yet on my well-water, which is very low, & foul.  Snow on the Sussex downs.

One young martin in one of Burbey’s nests, which the dams continue to feed.  Gracious stream now runs a little.

Nep. B. White left us, & went to London.  It was with difficulty that we procured water enough for  brewing from my well.

Several wells in the village are dry: my well is very low; Burbey’s Turner’s, Dan Loe’s hold out well.