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becomes the more apparent. Slips arise from two causes, each 

 independent of the other, but both arising from the physical 

 conformation of the district, namely: — 1st, those which are 

 caused by the erosive action of the streams running in the 

 bottoms of the valleys, which lead to dislocations of the beds 

 above, and the tumbling of masses of rock from their proper 

 position, and sometimes to a general subsidence of the side of 

 the hill : and 2nd, those which are induced through the sUppery 

 state of those beds, from which the springs are thrown out, but 

 in each case the result is the same ; large masses slowly and at 

 intervals move down the slopes, and as they reach the base are 

 in course of time eroded by the streams : thus a widening of the 

 valleys is constantly going on. This process is, probably, to 

 some extent, retarded in the present day by the artificial uses 

 to which the streams are apphed. Instead of being, as they 

 once were, small rivers of rapid flow, and great erosive power, 

 they now form a succession of levels. This remark applies as 

 well to the manufacturing districts, where every mill-owner 

 raises his weir as high as can be without interfering with his 

 neighbour above, as to those districts where mills do not abound, 

 but where the streams are dammed back to form ornamental 

 ponds. If these impediments were removed there is little doubt 

 the deepening and widening of the valleys would be again 

 accelerated. 



This opinion is confirmed by what has occurred in recent times 

 in various localities in the Cotteswolds ; the well-known sKp at 

 Hewlett's Hill, near Cheltenham, may be mentioned as an 

 instance in point; so also a slip near Nailsworth during the 

 past winter. In the latter instance a large mass of Fullers Earth 

 had formerly moved down the slope tmtil its base rested upon 

 the bottom of the valley, which, for a time, arrested its progress. 

 In making the Nailsworth Railway, the lower part of the sKp 

 was cut through. In consequence, the movement of the upper 

 part re- commenced — a large house built upon it parted into 

 two — some cottages were tumbled about, and other damage 

 done, and the railway engineers are now busily engaged in 

 devising means to prevent the sHpping of the whole mass on 



