114 HISTORY OF 



large island formed in this manner, at the mouth 

 of the river Nanquin, in China, made from de- 

 positions of mud at its opening ; it is not less 

 than sixty miles long, and about twenty broad. 

 La Loubere informs us,* in his voyage to Siam, 

 that these sand-banks increase every day, at the 

 mouths of all the great rivers in Asia ; and hence 

 he asserts, that the navigation up these rivers 

 becomes every day more difficult, and will, at 

 one time or other, be totally obstructed. The 

 same may be remarked with regard to the Wol- 

 ga, which has at present seventy openings into 

 the Caspian Sea ; and of the Danube, which has 

 seven into the Euxine. We have had an instance 

 of the formation of a new island, not very long 

 since, at the mouth of the Humber, in England. 

 " It is yet within the memory of man," says the 

 relater, t " since it began to raise its head above 

 the ocean. It began its appearance at low water, 

 for the space of a few hours; and was buried 

 again till the next tide's retreat. Thus, succes- 

 sively, it lived and died, until the year 1666, 

 when it began to maintain its ground against the 

 insults of the waves, and first invited the aid 

 of human industry. A bank was thrown about 

 its rising grounds; and being thus defended 

 from the incursions of the sea, it became firm 

 and solid, and, in a short time, afforded good 

 pasturage for cattle. It is about nine miles in 

 circumference, and is worth to the proprietor 



* Lettres Curieuses et Edifiantes, sect. xi. p. 234. 

 t Phil. Trans, vol. iv. p. 251. 



