2 NATURAL HISTORY. 



We have a remarkable example of these sinkings near 

 Folkstone, in the county of Kent. The hills in its en- 

 virons have sunk gradually, by an imperceptible motion, 

 and without any earthquake. These hills internally 

 are rocks of stone and chalk. By this sinking, they 

 have thrown into the sea rocks and earths which are 

 adjacent to it. 



When the waters on the surface of the earth cannot 

 find vent to flow, they form morasses and hogs. The 

 most famous morasses in Europe, are those of Muscovy 

 at the source of Tanais ; those of Finland, where are 

 the great morasses of Savolax and Enasak. There are 

 also some in Holland, Westphalia, and many other low 

 countries. In Asia, the morasses of the Euphrates, 

 those of Tartary, and the Palus Meotidis ; neverthe- 

 less, in general there are fewer of them in Asia, and 

 Africa than in Europe. But America may be said to 

 be one continued morass through all its plains. This 

 great number of morasses is a proof of the modern date 

 of the country, and of the small number of inhabitants, 

 and still more of their want of industry. 



To give an idea of the quantity of earth which the 

 rain detaches from the mountains and carries along with 

 it into the valleys, we can quote a circumstance related 

 by Dr Plot. In his Natural History of Staffcrdshire, 

 he observes that eighteen feet deep in the earth several 

 pieces of money coined in the reign of Edward V. have 

 been found ; i. e. two hundred years before his time.' 

 Hence this ground, which is boggy, has increased above 

 a foot in eleven years, or an inch and a twelfth every 

 year. We can still make a similar observation on 

 trees buried at seventeen feet depth, below which 

 medals of Julius Caesar have been found. Thus the 

 brought from the tops of mountains into plain* 



