REMARKS ON A FLOATING ISLAND. 231 



When a basin of the kind above-mentioned is 

 only of small extent, it generally has a deep 

 pool or a slow stream of water passing through 

 it: or else a deep pond in its centre; if the basin 

 extends over a whole valley, it commonly forms 

 a lake. The lake has its margins shallow, and 

 gradually sloping down into deeper water; the 

 narrow pool or pond formed in swampy ground, 

 being less affected by waves, has its banks more 

 abrupt and perpendicular ; from which the pulpy 

 matter underneath is gradually washed out, 

 leaving the more compact and grassy surface 

 stratum to be supported solely by the water; 

 by the rising and falling and agitation of which, 

 a portion of light earth is sometimes torn off, 

 and floated about at the mercy of the winds. 

 Of this kind is a floating island on a pond, 

 called Priest-Pot, lying at a small distance from 

 the head of Esthwaite- Water, near Hawkshead. 

 This pond is of an oval form, covering an extent 

 of two or three acres, in the middle of a spongy 

 meadow; the island is about 24 yards in length, 

 by 6 in breadtli, and has probably been at some 

 time of larger dimensions : it supports several 

 trees of alder and willow of considerable size, 

 and its surface is covered with rough grass, chiefly 

 of the carex or sedge kind. 



Vegetable matter in a decomposing state under 



