of the Town of A'ew-Haven. 85 



have been washed down from the hills, and it is not dif- 

 ficult to mark a gradation of stones of considerable size ; 

 of coarse gravel ; fine gravel, and sand ; and lastly, of 

 parts so comminuted that they have become blended 

 with the soil. 



It may be thought that the east and west rivers would 

 in a great measure prevent the alluvial increase of the 

 plain of Nevv^-Haven, since, whatever is washed from 

 the hills at whose feet those rivers run, must be arrested 

 by them, and be either carried down by their currents, 

 or deposited on their banks, or in their channels. 



It is believed however that they have materially con- 

 tributed to the extension of this plain, and its encroach- 

 ment upon the harbor, both by the increase of their own 

 banks, and the gradual change of their beds, and by ac- 

 cumulating such masses of matter, as, in the progress 

 of time, have extended the land farther into the harbor, 

 and elevated that into dry ground which was once be- 

 neath the water. 



An effect of this kind has been manifestly produced, 

 within the observation of people now living in this town, 

 by the two small streams, one of which runs through 

 the city, and the other passes between Meadow- Street, 

 and Sodom Hill. It is well known that the harbor, con- 

 tiguous to the mouths of those streams, has filled up 

 with remarkable rapidity, and that salt grass is now be- 

 ginning to grow, in many places, where a few years ago, 

 vessels of 50 or 60 tons might float at high water. Thus, 

 it would not be surprizing, if, in the progress of a cen- 

 tury, the greater part of that portion of our harbor which 

 now exposes a bed of mud at lov/ water, should become 

 dry ground. 



When these things are duly considered, perhaps the 

 conjecture will not appear extravagant that no small por- 

 tion of our plain has been formed by alluvion^ in the 

 long progress of 6000 years, and that the very place 

 which we now stand upon, was formerly overflowed by 

 salt water. It would be easy to fortify this conclusion by 

 many parallel facts, and to show that similar changes 

 are going forward in most countries ; but facts of this 

 nature are sufficiently well known, and it remains only 



