188
NOTES.
The Ancient Deneholes at Tilbury, Essex.—In view of the resumption
of explorations in the Chadwell Deneholes, it may be interesting to reproduce the
earliest known representation of these mysterious excavations. We quote from
Philemon Holland's translation of Camden's "Britannia" (1610):—" From the
mouth of this Roding, this Tamis hasteneth through a ground lying verie flat and
low, and in most places otherwhiles overflowen (whereby are occasioned strong
and unholsome vapours exceeding hurtfull to the health of the neighbour
Inhabitants) to Tilbury: neere unto which there be certaine holes in the rising of
a chalky hill, sunke into the ground tenne fathom deepe, the mouth whereof is
but narrow, made of stone cunningly wrought, but within they are large and
spatious, in this forme, which he that went downe into them described unto me
after this manner :—
Of which I haue nothing else to say, but what I haue delivered already " [in his
account of "Feuersham" in Kent, as follows : —] " Nigh therereto, like as else-
where through this Countie, are found pits of great deapth, which being narrow
in the mouth and very spatious beneath, have their certaine distinct rowmes or
chambers (as it were) with their severall supporting pillers of chalke. Concern-
ing these there are divers opinions. I for my part, cannot tell what to thinke
of them unlesse they were those pits, out of which the Britans in old time
digged forth chalke or white marle to dung their grounds withall, as Plinie writeth.
For, they found pits, saith he, An hundred foote deepe, streight at the mouth, but
of great capacity within; like unto these very same of which we now speake.
And verily, nowhere else are they found but in a chalkie and marly soile. Unlesse
a man would thinke, that our English-Saxons digged such caves and holes to the
same use and purpose, as the Germans did, of whom they were descended. For,
they were wont as Tacitus writeth, to make holes and caves under ground, and
those to charge aloft with great heapes of dung, as harbours of refuge for Winter,
and garners of receit for corne; because by such like places they mitigate the
rigour of cold wether: and if at any time the enemy commeth, he wasteth only the
open ground ; but as for those things that lie hidden and buried under the earth,
they are either unknowen, or in this respect doe disapoint the enimies, for that
they are to be sought for."—Ed.
Sphinx Convolvuli, L., at Maldon.—Mr. Leonard Bentall has just sent
me a specimen of this fine moth caught last night, at light, in his shop in the High
Street. It measures four and-a-quarter inches across the wings.—Edward A.
Fitch, Maldon, 19th August, 1887.