The Natural History of Selborne

Master Hale houses barley that looks like old thatch.  Much barley about the country, & some wheat.  Some pheasants found in the manour.  The sound of great guns was heard distinctly this day to the S.E. probably from Goodwood, where the Duke of Richmond has a detachment from the train of artillery encamped in his park, that he may try experiments with some of the ordnance.

On this day Monarchy was abolished at Paris by the National Convention; and France became a republic!

Several of my neighbours went up the Hill (this being the day of the great review at Bagshot heath) whence they heard distinctly the discharges from the ordnance, & small arms, & saw the clouds of smoke from the guns.  The wind being N.E. they smelled, or seemed to smell, the scent of the gunpowder.  Wickham bushes, the scene of action, is more than 20 miles from hence.  The crouds of people assembled upon this occasion were great beyond anything seen at such meetings!

The guns at the camp on Bagshot Heath were heard distinctly this evening.

Guns fire at Portsmouth.

Arrived off the isle of Wight the Earl Fitzwilliams Captn Dundas from Madras.  Charles Etty sailed in this India man as second mate about the 10th of March, 1790.  [later note]  Poor Charles Etty did not come home in the Earl Fitzwilliams, having unfortunately broke his leg at Madras the evening before the ship sailed for Europe.

London

Rasps come in.  Many Martins in the green park.  In a fruit-shop near St. James were set out to sale black cluster-grapes, pine apples, peaches, nectarines, & Orleans plums.

This morning Rear Admiral Cornish, with six ships of the line, & two smaller ships of war, sailed from St. Hellen’s.

Went to London by Guilford & Epsom.  Spring-corn & grass look well.  Hay making near town.

Men bag their hops; & house seed-clover.  A fern-owl plays round the Plestor.  As we were walking this day, Sept. 22nd: being the King’s coronation, on Nore-hill at one o’ the clock in the afternoon, we heard great guns on each side of us, viz. from the S. & from the N.E., which undoubtedly were the cannons of Portsmouth & Windsor: the former of which is at least 26 miles distant, & the latter 30.  If the guns heard from the N.E. were not from Windsor, they must be those of the Tower of London.