The house is rather a large and solid-looking building, erected by Mr.Mechi himself, but not at all ostentatious of wealth or architectural taste.

The barns and "steddings," or what we call cowhouses in America, are of a very ordinary cast, or such as any country-bred farmer would call economical and simple.

The homestead occupies no picturesque site, and commands no interesting scenery.
The farm consists of about 170 acres, which, in England, is regarded as a rather small holding.

The land is naturally sterile and hard of cultivation, most of it apparently being heavily mixed with ferruginous matter.

When ploughed deeply, the clods turned up look frequently like compact masses of iron ore.