OF KENT. 2 the Rutupine Port was in its proſperity; but its preten- fion to the appellation is now barely kept up by a ſmall iewer communicating with the Stour and the ſca. The bed of that once famous harbour now forms valuable tracts of marſhes, comprehending above twenty-five thou- ſand acres. Thanet, including Stonar, contains nearly forty-one ſquare miles, or about twenty-ſeven thouſand Acres,
The Rother riſes in Suſſex, and empties itſelf into the ſea at Rye, forming the harbour of that port. Jthad:for= merly another outlet at Romney, the dry channel of which 1s fill vifible, From Rye it proceeds to Apledore, and then, by a curvature, forms the Iſle of OXneys which 1s about ten miles in circumference, and conſiſts of a ridge of upland, running through its middle, and of low fertile marſhes towards the river,
The Weald of Kent, before mentioned, was formerly covered entirely with woods+. It has now many ſmall towns and villages; but is more thinly inhabited than the other parts of the county{, and of courſe much leſs cultivated.
Romney-Marſh is an extenſive tras of rich marſh- land, at the ſouth corner of the county, originally in-
+ As a proof of this, the manors aboye the hill, which ſeparate the middle of Kent from the Weald, have many öf them a loúg ſlip of land each, reaching ten or twelve miles into the Weald 5 which farms pay quit-rents to them. Note ¿y a Middle Kent Farmer.
+ I do not think it leſs populous than the be cultivated parts of Faſt Kent; which, conſiſting of large farms, the harveſt-work of which, hoeing,&c, is done by labourers from other parts; whereas in the Weald it is otherwiſe; for being parcelled out generally into ſmall farms, the whole work 1s done by the reſident labourers and the fara mers themſelves: and this of courſe is in favour of its population.
Note by the ſame Middle Kent Farmer.
The public are much obliged to this Gentleman for a great number of very ſenſible and pertinent remarks; but in this.-inſtance, reſpecting the population of the Weald not being lefs than the beſt cultivated parts sf Kent, he is certainly miſtaken. Editor.
B 2 cloſed