21 FEBRUARY 1903, Page 25

THE SURREY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

The Surrey Archaeological Society. Vol. %V11. (Published at Guildford for the Society.)—The Surrey Archaeological Society is to be congratulated upon the interest of its latest annual volume. Several of the papers deal with places well known to Londoners, and are written in an attractive and agreeable style. One of the best of these is the account of Holmbury Hill and its neighbourhood, written by Mr. Malden. He mentions, amongst other things, a very instructive conversation in regard to the Surrey smugglers which he had some years ago with an old man still living and past his hundredth year. The smugglers used to bring the contraband goods up from the Sussex coast, and hide them, not only in cellars under cottages in the Holmbury district, but on the chalk downs which are much nearer London. Mr. Malden mentions also the interesting fact that the people of that part of Surrey—i.e., round Holmbury Hill—used to be called " Heathers," and were regarded as a very lawless elan. When once a man who had stolen anything was located as having taken refuge in that wild district, the search was given up, it being known that all the inhabitants would hold together to evade, or violently to resist, further search. Among the more scientific; pieces of archaeology in the volume are the churchwardens' accounts of the parish of Wandsworth. These are printed in great detail, and though not such good reading for the ordinary man, they will no doubt be of considerable value to archaeologists. It should be mentioned that the volume also contains two repro- ductions of pictures of Wotton House drawn by the great John Evelyn.