THANET-ISLAND, (Kent) in the N. E. part of the Co. lies open to the Sea on the N. and E. with the r. Wantsam on the W. and S. is about 10 m. long from the North-Foreland to Sarre-Bridge, and about 8 broad from Westgate to Sandwich-Ferry. The N. part of it is all arable, except some barren land, that is sown with faintsoin, which produces a load and sometimes 2 loads of hay upon an acre; by which means, the land, that otherwise is not worth half a crown an acre, yields 30 or 40 s. The S. and W. parts of the island are most of them marsh or pasture lands. The soil is generally very fertile, especially in the best of barley and other sorts of grain, of which it is computed above 20,000 quarters are sent hence to London in a year, besides what is sold to other places. The Alga marina, or sea ore, as they call it, is their chief manure. This they also dry on the shore and burn it, in order to make kelp, which the potters use in glazing their ware. But the smell of the rotten ore upon the soil, and the smoak of it, when burning, is very noisome. The gentlemens families are for most- part gone from this part of the Co. having sold their estates; so that their mansion-seats are converted into farm-houses. But then on the other hand many of the yeomen and farmers have good estates, on which they live very genteely. In this island are 6 p.-Chs. and one chapel. It has given title of E. to the family of Tufton, ever since the R. of Cha. I. We read, that Egbert the eighth K. of Kent, gave 1-third of the island to a lady, whom he had much injured; and that she built a mon. upon it, to which the other Kentish Ks. were very liberal; but the Danes ruined it.