164 Olanbscape Hrcbitecture 



"Islands scattered in a large lake or judiciously 

 arranged in the broad flowing river are of great 

 assistance and add much to the beauty of the whole 

 by their variety. Here, too, the example of nature 

 must be very fully studied. It is remarkable how 

 seldom this is the case and I can hardly remember 

 having seen anywhere an artificial island which did 

 not betray at first glance its forced, unnatural origin. 

 Thus I recently found, even in the small celebrated 

 royal gardens attached to Buckingham House, which 

 I have highly praised elsewhere, one which repre- 

 sented more the picture of a pudding in its sauce, 

 than an island built up by nature. It is true that 

 nature sometimes indulges in peculiar freaks, but 

 there is always je ne sais quoi, which cannot be at- 

 tained by mere imitation, therefore it becomes us 

 to follow her rules, not her exceptions. 



" Generally, as I have said, artificial islands can be 

 recognized at the first glance. Their shape is either 

 oval or round, sloping down equally on all sides, (see 

 Plate VII., e,) and they are planted at random in 

 separate patches, see i. Nature forms them quite 

 otherwise, seldom by building up, more frequently 

 by erosion. For how is an island originated? First, 

 either a piece of land has withstood the pressure of 

 the flood by its height and solidity, see a ; or secondly, 

 it has been forcibly torn asunder, see b ; or it may be an 

 eminence has been quietly surrounded by a stream 

 in its course; or finally accumulated soil, having 

 been borne along by the stream, remains after the 



