10. Y O p. K S H I R E. 229 



the waters of floods being by this means con- 

 fined (fuppofing an embankment on either 

 fide) to the bed of the river, the banks re- 

 quire to be raifed to an unnecelTciry height. 



But if the lines of embankment be run at 

 a proper dijlance from the river, as ten, twen- 

 ty, or thirty yards, the banks and the shores 

 are placed out of danger from the river; 

 and a greater area being left for the water 

 of floods to fpread over, their rife will be 

 proportionably lefs, and the requifite height 

 of bank will of courfe be leflcned in the 

 fame proportion. 



Theory may conceive a wajie of land by 

 this means-, but experience fliews that fucli 

 an apprehenfion is ill- grounded. The em- 

 bankment is equally beneficial to the land it 

 enclofes, and to that it ihuts out from the 

 river. The enriched waters of floods, now 

 confined by the banks, depofit on the in- 

 clofcd flips the whole of thofe particles which 

 hitherto they had fcattered over an extent of 

 country. By this means the fwamps and 

 hollows of the flips are prelencly filled up ; 

 ^pd in time the entire furface is raifed. 



Q^ 3 I have 



