6 



posed more or less of green ooze, or mud.* which is 

 inhabited by innumerable little shell-fish. This is the 

 case, I believe with few exceptions, from Boston chan- 

 nel to a great distance to the southward ; consequently 

 the sand could not have been derived from that source 

 to have formed " all the sand banks, sand hills, &c. 

 from the Delaware to Florida." 



Independently of this, there are numerous other 

 places on the Atlantic coast, where the shores are 

 composed of a most beautiful fine white sand, and 

 which is constantly exposed to, and washed by the 

 raging billows of the ocean ; yet there has been but 

 little or no alteration in the shores or neighbourhood 

 adjacent, since the discovery of America ; or within 

 the memory of the oldest inhabitants living in their 

 vicinity. Such are the shores of Long Island from 

 its east to its south western extremity, and from 

 thence to the Capes of Delaware with few exceptions. 

 Such are also the shores of the main land from Watch 

 Hill, at or near Stonington, Connecticut, to Hurl 

 Gate? with few exceptions. Such is also the Island 

 of Anguilla, and the beach on which the city stands at 

 the bottom of great bay in the Island of St. Martins. 

 These are both immense beds of fine silicious sand, 

 constantly exposed to the operations of the trade winds 

 and hurricanes, yet no visible change is produced in 

 their extent, or general features, except that violent 

 winds sometimes, from local causes, act with more 



* See Chapter 9. 



