224 fimehri. 



ling with the littoral current and moving from east to west. The coast 

 under the lee of the gaps between such banks would then be more ex- 

 posed than the neighbouring parts. If the wash was only due to the 

 slow sinking of the ground the erosion would be everywhere the same 

 and constant. 



That coast erosion is solely due to the surf is proved by the absence 

 of littoral currents strong enough to carry away the eroded ground. In 

 fact, this current coastwise over the broad flats is hardly perceptible, and 

 the courida bush undermined and thrown down remains floating or lying 

 where it falls. There certainly are stronger currents in and out of the 

 estuaries, but in well-defined channels, and they hardly affect the mud- 

 flats on either side, except in so far as these channels are slewing round 

 more and more to the east towards the incoming tide. 



It is probable, that when the first plantations were laid out the 

 wash was already active and had been so for centuries before. The 

 planters laid their front-dam back from the coast-line, as it was at that 

 time. These embankments, protected as they were then by a wide belt 

 of courida bush, needed no greater dimensions than the back-dams, 

 where they only had to keep out the bush water. But as the sea-dams 

 became exposed to the surf by the washing away of the courida these old 

 dams were no longer strong enough and often not high enough to resist 

 the oncoming waves. If at the time of these first symptoms the case had 

 been understood, these sea-dykes should have been at once strengthened 

 and covered with stone or hard material on the outside. But instead of 

 this the most trivial and useless devices were resorted to. For instance, 

 in some cases faggots of brushwood held down by young trees, driven 

 through them vertically and built up on the seaside of eroded dams, 

 were supposed to keep off' the surf. But not being properly tied back 

 to the dam, they swayed backward and forward with every wave and 

 acted on the wet surface like a brush, making the destruction worse. 

 Then somebody had heard of groynes without really understanding the 

 principle of them, — that is, their use being to keep a current away from 

 the dam. But no perceptible current existing, these groynes were worse 

 than useless, in fact they added another cause of damage. The West 

 Best groin is an instance of this mistaken policy and had no power to 

 stop the destruction of the estates behind it. 



The only efficacious remedy against the continuous loss of land is a 

 really properly constructed embankment with a good stone covering on 

 the seaward slope. But the best made work requires maintenance ; if 

 not maintained it becomes ruinous Even the pyramids of Egypt are in 

 ruins for lack of timely repairs. 



If stone is not obtainable concrete blocks may be used, as there is 

 excellent coarse sand obtainable in the colony as a covering. Ferro- 

 concrete can also be used and is at present much in favour in Holland. 

 It is light, an advantage where used on new-made dams, and compares 

 favourably as to cost with a covering of natural stone — at least in Holland] 



