24-6 HISTORY OF 



their labour, being destitute of the support of 

 the underwood, and of their neighbouring trees, 

 were easily overthrown by the winds, and, with- 

 out interruption, remained on the places where 

 they happened to fall. The forest thus fallen, 

 must necessarily have stopped up the currents, 

 both from land and sea, and turned into great 

 lakes what were before but temporary streams. 

 The working of the waters here, the consumption 

 and decay of rotten boughs and branches, and 

 the vast increase of water-moss which flourishes 

 upon marshy grounds, soon formed a covering 

 over the trunks of the fallen trees, and raised 

 the earth several feet above its former level. 

 The earth thus every day swelling by a con- 

 tinual increase from the sediment of the waters, 

 and by the lightness of the vegetable substances 

 of which it was composed, soon overtopt the 

 waters by which this intumescence was at first 

 effected; so that it entirely got rid of its in- 

 undations, or only demanded a slight assistance 

 from man for that purpose." This may be the 

 origin of all bogs, which are formed by the 

 putrefaction of vegetable substances, mixed with 

 the mud and slime deposited by waters, and at 

 length acquiring a sufficient consistency. 



From this we see what powerful effects the sea 

 is capable of producing upon its shores, either by 

 overflowing some or deserting others ; by alter- 

 ing the direction of these, and rendering those 

 craggy and precipitate which before were shelv- 

 ing. But the influence it has upon these is no- 

 thing to that which it has upon that great body 



