492- History of Ajiinml Plagues. 



zooty has reigned^ is situated beyond Abbeville, and near 

 Montreuil-sur-Mer j it consists of a very humid valley vi^hich is 

 watered by the Autie. Although horses are chiefly employed 

 there for labour, yet large numbers of cattle are reared; cows 

 are very numerous, and form the principal wealth of the farmer, 

 whose subsistence is principally their milk prepared in different 

 ways. The river which flows in this valley is retarded in its 

 course by a mill called Tigni, situated but a short distance from 

 the sea, whose waters cause a reflux that extends much beyond 

 the mill. The position of this building is such, that if it was 

 built in the usual manner, the water-wheel would not be turned 

 more than twelve hours at most out of the twentv-four, in conse- 

 quence of the tides. The greatest eflTorts have been made to render 

 this mill independent of the marshes, and this has been effected 

 by raising the flood-gates and embankments of the Autie very con- 

 siderably, and in such a way that the water has more than ten 

 feet of a fall, and the mill-wheel never ceases revolving. As a result 

 of this arrano-ement.the coarse of the river is retarded, and it often 

 overflows its banks, flooding all the low ground in its vicinity. In 

 that part of the course of the Autie which is on this side of the Tigni 

 mill, the water is on a level with the banks ; but on the other side, 

 on the contrary, it is rapid and many feet below its boundaries. 

 The pastures, too often submerged by the overflowing of the river, 

 produces herbage of a bulky and rank nature, such as is found 

 in marshes; while on the ground situated between the Autie and 

 the sea grows herbage of a good quality. This inundating and 

 the vapours to which it gives rise, acts alike on men and animals. 

 The human species is very liable to intermittent fevers, and other 

 creatures to be attacked by inflammatory or anthracoid fevers, 

 and sometimes other very serious epizootics at certain seasons of 

 the year. The heat was very intense in the months of June and 

 July, 1779; the damp soil was nearly dried up ; the putrefying 

 plants and insects exhaled a foul odour, and those people and 

 cattle inhabiting the vicinity of this morass were generally af- 

 fected. The first cow was attacked on the 12th of July, in 

 the marsh of Roussan. In a short time, another died in 

 the parish of Maintenai, after being ill for seventeen days. It 

 is necessary to observe that the cattle of Maintenai had been 



