CHAPTER TWENTY SANDHILLS 



through the place on my way to the sea-shore. Farther 

 westward, the sandhills are bounded by a large extent of 

 marsh and water, terminating at last in an extensive lake, 

 dreary and cold-looking; the resort of wild fowl of every 

 kind, from the swan to the teal; but said to contain no fish 

 excepting eels. 



I never yet could get a good account of the origin of 

 these sandhills; I say origin, because they are evidently of 

 a more recent formation than any of the surrounding land. 

 In several places, where the sand is blown off, you see the 

 remains of cultivated ground, the land below the sand be- 

 ing laid out in regular furrows and ridges, made by the 

 plough; and, from their regularity and evenness, one would 

 suppose that agriculture must have been well advanced 

 when these lands were in cultivation. Did the covering 

 that now conceals these fields consist wholly of sand, one 

 would agree with the popular story of their having been 

 overwhelmed with it by the wind; but in some parts the 

 ground is covered to a good depth by shingle & water- worn 

 stones of a size to preclude the possibility of their having 

 been brought there by the action of the wind. In certain 

 places, too, there are curious regularly formed pyramids of 

 shingle, about sixteen feet high, and of the same diameter 

 at the base. These, and long banks of shingle, havino- ex- 

 actly the appearance of the sea- beach, make me suppose 

 that the destruction of what was once a fertile country was 

 brought about by some sudden and unaccountable inroad 

 of the sea. I ndeed, the appearance of the whole of this bar- 

 ren district would lead one to the same conclusion. At any 

 rate, amongst the numerous traditions regardingthe orio-in 

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