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.

My well sinks and is very low.  The tortoise begins to dig into the ground.  Mr Yalden fetches water from Well-head.  The bat is out this warm evening.

Men sow their wheat in absolute dust.  Bro. T. and M. went away.

Acorns abound, & help poor men’s hogs.  “There has lately been felt in diverse parts of Hungary so extraordinary a heat, that the husband-men could only work in the night.  All the snow that has covered the Carpathian mountains for more than a century is entirely melted.”  St. James Chronicle

The tortoise is very torpid, but does not bury itself.

Farmer Eaves of Old-place fetches his water from Well-head.  Jupiter is now very low in the S.W. at sunset.

Men continue to fetch peat from the forest.

The distress for water in many places is great.  A notion has always obtained, that in England hot summers are productive of fine crops of wheat: yet in the years 1780, and 1781, tho’ the heat was intense, the wheat was much mildewed, & the crop light.  Quaere, Does not severe heat, while the straw is milky, occasion it’s juices to exsude, which being extravasted, occasion spots, discolour the stems & blades, & injure the health of the plants?  The heat of the two last summers has scalded & scorched the stems of the wall-fruit trees, & has fetched-off the bark.

On this ill-fated day Lord Cornwallis, & all his army surrendered themselves prisoners of war to the united forces of France & America at York-town in Virginia.

Greatham-mill can work but 3 hours in the day.