Natural History. 105 



A little farther north is " Bicker Haven," which is now not 

 only dry land, but is many miles from the sea. 



If we take the evidence afforded by the names of places, 

 and by the changes of modern times, we have sufficient to show 

 that much less than 2000 years ago the "bar " in question was 

 not in existence, and that at that time the Wash extended 

 from the North Sea to Ely and Cambridge on the south, and 

 on the west over the low-lying country now called the Fens, 

 up to the valley of the Witham, and so up to Lincoln. 



This conclusion is fortified by history. 



The Romans who stayed with us from about 55 B.C. to 

 420 A.D. seem to have found the Wash, to which they gave 

 the name of " Metaris Estuarium," in a transition state. 



It was evidently rapidly silting up, and the islands which I 

 have previously mentioned were probably being formed. They 

 made the first great effort to convert part of it into dry land 

 by making the " Roman bank," which still exists on the east 

 coast of Lincolnshire, and the deep drain now called the 

 " Cardyke," I.e. the dyke in the Fens, parts of which still 

 exist. 



As I have previously pointed out, the islands in question 

 were then formed or being formed, and some at least were 

 soon after inhabited, e.g. Friskney, the island of the Frisians, 

 Oxnea the Island of Oxen, Eye on which stood the Danish 

 fortress Eyeborough. 



At the time of the Conquest the marshes and fens were 

 some of them covered by the sea, though if it is true as told by 

 Kingsley in the Camp of Refuge that the waters about Ely 

 teemed with fresh-water fish, the sea at that time had ceased 

 to go so far inland as Ely and Cambridge. This is, however, 

 probably a mistake of the author, for in the 43rd year of 

 Elizabeth an Act was passed to " drain the marshes and other 

 lands commonly subject to surrounding by the sea within the 

 Isle of Ely and the counties of Cambridge, Huntingdon, 

 Northampton, Lincoln, and other counties." 



This Act was not carried into effect ; but in the reign of 

 Charles the 2nd and afterwards the great Bedford Level was 

 drained, which extended into several of the counties above 

 mentioned. 



About 60 years ago Whittlesea Mere, a remain of the Wash, 

 was drained. 



About the same time Cowbit Wash was drained. 



Neither time nor space suffice to detail the various Acts of 



