446 J. F. NEWSOM 
almost at right angles to the course of the drainage entering 
them. 
The drainage from the land must pass through these lagoons, 
often for almost their entire length before it can reach the sea 
through gaps in the barriers or around their ends. Thus it 
happens that long, low barriers, often of soft sand, and of 
insignificant height, which if inland would be slight obstacles 
to erosion, often control large drainage areas (Fig. 1). 
Fic. 1.— Barnegat Bay on the coast of New Jersey. The drainage, at present 
deflected by the barrier, passes through the bay and into the ocean. 
Excellent examples of drainage controlled by barriers are to 
be found developed to a greater or less extent along the coasts 
of almost all countries. Along our own coasts the most marked 
examples are the streams flowing from Texas into the Gulf of 
Mexico; Indian River along the east coast of Florida; and the 
