110 SMITH. 



stagnant water, and converted this hitherto worthless waste into 

 valuable meadows, by conducting a running stream over its surface. 

 For the performance of this undertaking he received in 1805 the 

 medal of the Society of Arts. Another great work, on which he 

 was engaged more or less during the space of nine years (1800-1809), 

 was the draining of the marsh lands in East Norfolk, between 

 Yarmouth and Happisburgh. These lands were continually liable 

 to be flooded by inundations from the German Ocean, which poured 

 in through breaches in the sand-hills lining the coast, and forming a 

 natural barrier against these inroads. Mr. Smith at once saw that the 

 first thing to be done, to prove an effectual remedy, must be the stop- 

 ping out the sea from the whole region of marsh land. This he accom- 

 plished by filling up the vast breaches (amounting altogether to one 

 mile in length) with artificial embankments made of pebbles and 

 sand as like as possible to the natural barriers thrown up by the 

 sea. This simple and effective plan, requiring almost nothing but 

 labour for its accomplishment, entirely succeeded ; and the sea now 

 being effectually kept out, he was able to suggest to the proprietors 

 proper methods for draining and improving the marshes. 



In 1806 Mr. Smith's first published work appeared, being entitled, 

 1 A Treatise on the Construction and Management of Watermeadows.' 

 Several years previous to this he had been repeatedly urged by his 

 friends (among whom he now counted Francis, Duke of Bedford, 

 Sir Joseph Banks, Mr. Crawshaw, Thomas W. Coke, of Norfolk, and 

 the Rev. B. Richardson, before mentioned) to put in force his inten- 

 tion of publishing his discoveries. Many difficulties had, however, 

 occurred; his means were continually exhausted by his scientific 

 investigations; and an attempt, first made in 1801, to publish by 

 subscription a work on the natural order of the strata of England 

 and Wales, failed, partially from the deaths of his patrons the Duke 

 of Bedford and Mr. Crawshaw, and ultimately from his proposed 

 publisher, Debrett, falling into difficulties. 



From this period until late in life, Mr. Smith continued unceas- 

 ingly his professional occupations. In 1809 he began to execute the 

 Ouse navigation in Sussex ; in 1810 he restored the hot springs of 

 Bath, which had failed; in 1811 he examined into the causes of 

 leakage on the Kennet and Avon Canal, and reported on trials for 

 coals in Buckinghamshire ; and in 1812-1814 executed the Minsmere 

 drainage in Suffolk. During these and a hundred other engagements 

 of a like nature, which furnished him with the means and occasion 

 for incessant travelling, Mr. Smith lost no opportunity of commit- 

 ting to paper the result of the day's observations on the direction, 

 dip, and aspect of the rocks he passed over during his various 

 journies. In 1812, receiving proposals from Mr. Gary to publish his 

 map of the strata of England and Wales, Mr. Smith recommenced 

 his efforts to produce the great work on which he had been occupied 

 for the space of twenty years. This map was at length published 



