CHAPTER IV. 
THE WATERS. 
Land Artificially won from the Waters—Great Works of Material Improvement 
—Draining of Lincolnshire Fens—Incursions of the Sea in the Nether- 
lands—Origin of Sea-dikes—Gain and Loss of Land in the Netherlands— 
Marine Deposits on the Coast of Netherlands—Draining of Lake of Haar- 
lem—Draining of the Zuiderzee—Geographical Effects of Improvements 
in the Netherlands—Ancient Hydraulic Works—Draining of Lake Ce- 
lano by Prince Torlonia—Incidental Consequences of draining Lakes— 
Draining of Marshes—Agricultural Draining—Meteorological Effects of 
Draining—Geographical Effects of Draining—Geographical Effects of 
Aqueducts and Canals—Antiquity of Irrigation—Irrigation in Palestine, 
India, and Egypt—Irrigation in Europe—Meteorological Effects of Irri- 
gation—Water withdrawn from Rivers for Irrigation—Injurious Effects 
of Rice-culture—Salts Deposited by Water of Irrigation—Subterranean 
Waters—Artesian Wells—Artificial Springs—Hconomizing Precipitation 
—Inundations in France—Basins of Reception—Diversion of Rivers— 
Glacier Lakes—River Embankments—Other Remedies against Inunda- 
tions—Dikes of the Nile—Deposits of Tuscan Rivers—Improvements in 
Tuscan Maremma—Improyements in Val di Chiana—Coast of the 
Netherlands, 
Land artificially won from the Waters. 
May, as we have seen, has done much to revolutionize the 
solid surface of the globe, and to change the distribution and 
proportions, if not the essential character, of the organisms 
which inhabit the land and even the waters. Besides the 
influence thus exerted upon the life which peoples the sea, 
his action upon the land has involved a certain amount of 
indirect encroachment upon the territorial jurisdiction of 
the ocean. So far ashe has increased the erosion of run- 
ning waters by the destruction of the forest or by other opera- 
tions which lessen the cohesion of the soil, he has promoted 
the deposit of solid matter in the sea, thus reducing the depth of 
