THE WAVE S TOOTH 



145 



The storm wave is, indeed, a powerful batter- 

 ing ram. And yet the greatest destruction 

 along the coast hardly comes from the swift- 

 smiting crest. There is force in the blow, to 

 be sure; but in the long account of time it is 

 the wear on the cliff bases that finally topples 

 the rock forward into the sea. Day and night 

 at the foundation walls there is the gnaw of 

 the wave's tooth; winter frosts creep into the 

 cracks and veins of the upper rock wedging it 

 away from the main body ; heavy storms follow 

 with their breakers flung high up the wall ; and 

 great blocks of granite are loosened, falling with 

 a crash to the bottom of the cliff. This is the 

 process that destroys. Sometimes it is tem- 

 porarily stayed, clogged by its own debris; but 

 there is always a clearing away for new action, 

 a preparing for a new attack. The sea is never 

 idle. 



And yet water in itself has small power to 

 cut or eat into rock. Wliere there is no motion 

 there is no wear. Five himdred fathoms down 

 the rocks may be honeycombed by gases, but 

 they are not disintegrated by friction. It is 

 only along the coast that destruction goes rap- 

 idly forward. For though sea water has more 

 or less grit in it that gives it a rasping edge, 

 its real destructive power at the cliff base lies 



Gnaw of the 



wave's 



tooth 



Wear upon 

 cliff walls. 



The grit in 

 sea water. 



