The River Port Hutton to Smithford 



will also be deposited at C and D, while excavation will 

 be the rule at E and F. 



Once a set of windings is established, and a surpris- 

 ingly small obstacle will suffice for its initiation, it tends 

 to increase in amplitude, and the individual bends move 

 steadily down the valley towards the sea. The dotted 

 lines in the diagram indicate a further development of 

 the meanders, indicated by the continuous lines. 



On landing here for an evening stroll, the country 

 was seen to be much less swampy, and the river banks 

 less elevated than was the case below. Here and there 

 were swamps with many wild fowl, while about a mile 

 away was what appeared to be a lake, and from this 

 came a constant clamouring of wild duck. It would 

 probably repay the trouble of an examination, but this 

 had perforce to be deferred until the morrow, as the 

 ligTit was fast failing us. 



Wild Duck Lake lies in the grassy plain, and its 

 form is that of a horseshoe, with its open end towards 

 the river, from which it is separated by a distance of 

 about a quarter of a mile. On traversing the piece of 

 land between the two arms of the lake it was found to 

 be generally level and finally to dip beneath the waters 

 in the form of a sandy beach, while the outer bank had 

 a more abrupt slope, surmounted by an embankment 

 similar in size and form to that which bordered the 

 river. 



The width of the lake was similar to that of the 

 river, and its two arms were continued in the direction 

 of the stream as bands of marshy swamp. 



There was no doubt in our minds that the lake had 

 once formed part of the river bed, that it was in point 



99 



