35. NORFOLK. 313 



as it reaches the earth : a flood is feldom heard 

 of in Norfolk. The waters thus abforbed are 

 liable to be obfcrudted by beds of marl and 

 ciav : if an cbilrudlion take place on the verge 

 of a valley, the waters obftrudted ouze out, 

 or attempt a paffage, on its fides ; and rife, or 

 attempt to rife, out of its bafc. Thus, land- 

 fprings, quick-fands, hanging tumours, and 

 bogs occur in almoft every meadow : and 

 where none of thefe actually take place, a 

 coldnefs ufually prevails in every part of the 

 area (except in very dry feafons) ; owing to 

 the lownefs of the fituation, compared with 

 the neighbouring upland ; whofe abforbed 

 waters, though they fink beneath the corn- 

 mould, and though they may meet with no 

 particular obftrudtion, yet, in a wet feafon, 

 a-re, in all human probability, collected, more 

 or lefs, at the depth of a few feet below the 

 fur face. 



Be this as it may, the chilnefs which pre- 

 vails in the lower parts of the meadows, de- 

 ftroys or checks the better grafifes, and pro- 

 duces or encourages alders, fedge, ruflics, 

 and the v/hole tribe of paluflrean weeds : while 



the 



