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and meeting alfo the flood from the fea, tlieir current is diminifhed, 

 and the fand fubfiding, produces fhallows. In thefe lliallcws, the clay 

 and earthy fubftances alfo fettle, becaufe in thofe places the waters 

 have little motion, in proportion to what they have higher up the 

 rivers, and, by this means it is well known that there is a continual 

 increafe of dryland in fome parts of our fhores. 



If we obferve attentively our fea-coarts, we fliall in fome places, even 

 thofe which the fea daily breaks againft and wafiies over, obferve large, 

 pieces of black earthy matter, very compa6l and clofely cohering, and 

 which lye partly covered with fand, and partly overflowed every tide. 

 Thefe portions of earthy matter fo depofited, produce a flrong argu- 

 ment, to convince us that our fliores thus wafhed up by the fea, were 

 not merely formed by fmall quantities of foil gradually depofited, but 

 by large portions or fragments of land. And, who knows how long 

 fuch fragments of land might, by reafon of their gravity, lye at the 

 bottom of the fea before they were thrown upon the fhure, which, in 

 all probability, could not be effe6ied otherwife than by violent ftorms, 

 and that, many years after the flioaly or fandy bottom v/as firft formed. 



The magiftrates of Leyden had it lately in contemplation, if it 

 could have been done, to make a channel, outlet, or opening for 

 water, into the fea at Catwick, in the place where the Rliine for- 

 merly difembogued itfelf; but they found the undertaking to be 

 impradlicable, by reafon that the level of tlie fea was too high at 

 tliat fpot. This, at firft, appeared ftrange to me, as I could not con- 

 ceive how the fea could obtain a greater altitude than in former ages, 

 feeing there is not a greater portion of waters on our teiTaqueous 

 globe, than at its firfl: formation. But the difficulty ceafed in my 

 mind, when I confidered, what quantities of fine fand and flime, or 

 clay, are continually carried down our rivers, infomuch as to make 

 firm land, where formerly it was deep water; and further, what large 

 rivers there are in other parts of the world, all which carry great 



