306 ON LANDSLIPS. 



hole, and the shorter ones wedged in between them, in a few 

 minutes. The second set was similarly wedged in about 

 nine feet down, or a foot above the " slipping surface." A 

 man on top was looking after and spreading the cast-up 

 clods, and took his turn at casting up with the pitchfork 

 occasionally, for that Avas the hardest work. The holes were 

 easily got down thus in one day, and the clay stood for this 

 short time perfectly as a rule, so that the men thought there 

 was no need to use the timber ; but I had them put in as a 

 precaution, for if any side had fallen in, it would have spoilt 

 the " stone counterfort," as the men christened them. Thus 

 these twelve counterforts, two yards square and six yards 

 clear apart, were got in in a day and a night ; for the stone 

 was all on the bank ready, and was put in during the night. 



The effect was immediate, and, in its extent, unexpected ; 

 for in explaining my plan to Brunei, I had insisted upon the 

 important effect of the rough stones, if dragged along by the 

 slip, roughing up the smooth and glossy " slipping surface," 

 and causing soon so much friction as to stop its progress : for 

 I did not feel that I was able to form any definite opinion as 

 to the immediate resistance of a pile of loose stones as a 

 counterfort against the enormous pressure of the slip, as 

 proved by the simultaneous shearing of all the beech piles. 



The result, however, proved that all the force of the slip 

 could not move the counterforts in the least — it was stopped 

 dead, and at once, as I had the means of knowing by m}^ 

 marked pegs which I had driven for the purpose of exactly 

 measuring its progress. The alternate holes were never 

 wanted, and were never put down. But the effect of this 

 extremely sudden check to the motion of the slip on the east 

 side, while under full and steady way, appeared to be, as by 

 a sort of rebound, the starting of a similar slip on the west 

 side of the bank, exactly opposite the other. 



