Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 11.djvu/450

430 activity or zeal. Among the more important of his later literary performances were the articles on Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates, contributed to the eighth edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, and afterwards reprinted with additions under the title of The Futhers of the Greek Philo- sopiy (Edinburgh, 1862). In 1866 he had a paralytic seizure which unfitted him for severe mental exertion, and lie died at London on the 23d of April 1868.  HAMPSHIRE,, or (most anciently Hamtanscire, in Domesday book JJantesshire, and in the documents of the Middle Ages Sudhamtescire, Sudhamton- sire, and Sudenhamptonsire), a maritime county in the south of England, is situated between 50° 34’ and 51° 22’ N. lat. and 0° 43’ and 1° 54’ W. long., and is bounded on the N. by Berkshire, on the E. by the counties of Surrey and Sussex, on the §. by the English Channel, aud on the W. by Wiltshire and Dorsetshire. It is of an irregular quad- rilateral form, and its greatest breadth from north to south, not including the Isle of Wight, is 46 miles, and its greatest breadth from east to west 41 miles. The total area comprises 1,032,105 imperial acres (mainland por- tion 933,764 acres, Isle of Wight 93,341), or nearly 1613 square miles. Hampshire in its general aspect presents a beautiful variety of gently rising hills and fruitful valleys, adorned with numerous mansions and pleasant villages, and interspersed with extensive woodland. Two ranges of low chalk hills, known as the North and South Downs, enter the county from Surrey and Sussex respectively, and tra- Verse it in a north-westerly direction into Wiltshire and Berkshire, forming in the north-western corner of the county several picturesque eminences, from which some fine views are obtained. The highest of these summits is Siddown Hill, Highclere, 940 feet. The northern and north-eastern portion of the county, comprising more than 100,000 acres, is in the basin of the Thames; a large portion of the southern district is in the Southampton or Isle of Wight basin; and a portion to the west is in the basin of Wilts and Dorset. The south-western corner from South- hampton Water is almost wholly occupied by the New Forest. The coast on the whole is low and irregular. The most easterly part forms a large bay containing Hay- ling Island and Portsea Island, which divide it into Chichester harbour, Langston harbour, and Portsmouth harbour. From the south-western extremity of Portsmouth harbour itruns about 18 miles inland in a north-west direc- tion, and forms Southampton Water, which has a western shore about 10 miles in length, and an average breadth of neatly 2 miles at high water. From Southampton Water its line is continued irregularly in a south-western direction —for nearly one half of its extent fronting the Isle of Wight, and in its western half forming Christchurch Bay and part of Poole Bay.

Rivers and Canals.—The principal rivers are the Avon, the Boldre, the Exe, the Test with its tributary the Anton, the Itching, and the Hamble. The Avon in the south-west of the county has its source in Wiltshire, and passing Fordingbridge and Ringwood empties itself into Christ Church Bay, where it is joined by the Stour, which rising in Dorset crosses the south-west corner of Hampshire. The Boldre takes its rise in the New Forest, and after collecting the water of several brooks fells into Lymington creek, The Exe near the eastern extremity of the New Forest falls into the Solent at Beaulieu. The Test rises near Overton, and after its Junction with the Anton at Fullerton passes Stockbridge and Romsey, and forms the head of Southampton Water. The Itching rises near Alresford, and flowing by Kingsworthy, Winchester, and Twyford falls into the Southampton Water to the north of Southampton. The Hamble rises near Bishop’s Waltham, ind after a course of about 10 miles falls into the Southampton Water. The Wey, the Enbourne, the Loddon, and the Blackwater have their rise in the north part of the county, but soon pass into Berkshire. There is one canal, Basingstoke, begun in 1778 and completed in 1794 at a cost of £100,000. It is 37 miles in length and terminates in the river Wey, in Surrey, near its junction with the Thames. Andover canal, begun in 1789, was filled up in 1858 and converted into a rail- way, forming a junction with the London and Exeter at Andover.

Geology and Soil.—With the exception of the northern and north-eastern corner occupied by the basin of the Thames, another portion about 8 miles in breadth extend- ing along the eastern side, and the New Forest in the south- west, with a small portion to the north of it, Hampshire is occupied by the Chalk formation which runs from Sussex and Surrey north-east into Wilts and Berks. This middle district has a length from north to south of about 22 miles and a breadth from east to west of between 20 and 30 miles. Its soil is in some places of considerable depth, and produces good crops of all kinds, Lut a great part of it is so thin as to be unfitted for the plough, and is used as sheep pasture. The basin of the Thames to the north of this district 1s principally strong brown and grey loam, with a considerable number of marshes. The eastern portion form- ing the Vale of Petersfield, and comprising only about 50,000 acres, rests on the Wealdcan formation, and is a grey sandy loam provincially called “malmy” land, lying on a soft sand rock. The southern portion, which imecinudes the ancient Forest of Bere, Waltham Chase, and the New Forest, consists principally of light sandy and gravelly loams inter- mixed with clay and brick earth, resting chiefly on argil- laceous and calcareous marl.

