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The question whether or not there is a general tendency of 

 the boulders to travel southwards, is a matter of practical importance 

 to us at Barrow, in reference to the harbour and the means necessary 

 to keep the entrance clear for shipping. On the Cumberland 

 coast, the extraordinary bank thrown up by the river Ehen, between 

 itself and the sea, would appear to indicate that there is at least at 

 that point a tendency southwards ; though in opposition to this 

 the Esk and the Annas have their banks facing to the north. The 

 origin of the bank of the Ehen south of Braystones might perhaps 

 be due to the configuration of the coast, in that when the sea rolls 

 in against the cliffs, particularly during storms, the back water has 

 to escape in the direction of least resistance, which happens to be 

 the south, towards the point where the Ehen is emerging from its 

 ancient delta or estuary, and the struggle between the sea and the 

 river, meeting at an acute angle, might originate the bank ; but it 

 is difficult to see that these causes constantly acting, only at a 

 point moving southwards, would prolong the bank to so great a 

 distance as two miles. On the west coast of Walney there can be 

 no doubt as to the boulders travelling to the south, as there is a 

 remarkable annual increase of sixteen feet at the south end of the 

 island, the material being derived from its more northern portions. 

 The accumulation of boulders is enormous, and they lie in huge 

 ridges like the waves of a stormy sea ; very many acres are perfectly 

 bare, without any vegetation or any sand or gravel in their in- 

 terstices. They form an arm at right angles to the general trend 

 of the island, the greater portion being covered by sand dunes ; 

 and as the accretion is so rapid, combined with other circumstances, 

 I have come to the conclusion that this angle is extremely modem, 

 possibly, or rather probably, not more than three or four centuries 

 old. There is not the time now to state all the reasons for this 

 conclusion, which I stated fully in an address given last month to 

 the Barrow Field Club ; but my general argument was that Walney 

 Channel was the ancient course of the Duddon, and that Walney 

 was then joined to Cumberland ; were this suggestion to be correct, 

 light is thrown on the location of Piel Castle, which doubtless was 

 a fortress of great strength, and would scarcely have been built 



