64 ON THE RECLAMATION 



the east. The groins, therefore, in that particular situation, did 

 not tend to encourage a uniform deposit of shingle, which shifted 

 from side to side, according to the wind, while the exposed face 

 of the groin, from which for the time the shingle had been 

 removed, acted most injuriously by presenting a decoy to the 

 sea right up to high- water mark. These high isolated jetties 

 were therefore removed, and a continuous line of piling, parallel 

 to high-water mark, was substituted, presenting no obstacle to 

 the run of the waves along its surface. Occasional lines of low 

 jetties were put in front of the higher continuous pilework to 

 arrest the shingle, and the ends of these low jetties were at some 

 places, where the scour of shingle was greatest, connected by lines 

 of low piling parallel to the higher continuous piling ; and this 

 mode of construction has proved very successful, not only in 

 encouraging a more uniform collection of shingle, but also in 

 preventing the run of the sea, during high tides, overtopping the 

 shingle beach and deluging the adjoining lands. In proof of 

 this I may state that, on making an examination after the occur- 

 rence of an unprecedentedly heavy storm, accompanied by high 

 tides, I found that wherever the continuous upright piling and 

 planking had been constructed, there was no influx of anything 

 beyond spray upon the adjoining land, but that at all other parts 

 of the coast (which is about six miles in length), where the face 

 of the beach was sloping, and the upright piling had not been 

 applied, the water passed freely over in considerable depth, 

 carrying drift timber far into the fields, and in some places 

 heaping up heavy shingle on the land to the depth of two or 

 three feet. It was evident, therefore, that the problem to be 

 solved was" to oppose an obstacle which should throw lack the 



