Portland and its Vicinity. 339 



Land Slip on Presumpscut River. 



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I have already referred to this spot, as furnishing inter- 

 jesting organic remains. But it is still more important as 

 affording an unusual example of change, which the earth's 

 surface is undergoing. It occurs near Pride's Bridge, in 

 the northerly part of Westbrook, on the north bank of 

 the river. The stream in general is from six to eight 

 rods wide, when at a medium height. At this particular 

 spot, its course, which had been nearly north, suddenly 

 turns nearly east, in consequence, probably, of the high 

 bank forming its northern shore. At the place where it 

 makes this curve, it must of course undermine the bank ; 



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and probably in the course of ages, it has made consider- 

 able inroads upon it ; for the opposite side of the river, 

 A, (see the sketch below,) Is a low alluvial meadow, 



+ 1 



Five or six years a'go, the northern bank made one or 

 two very effectual reprisals; and by successive slides, 

 whose whole width cannot be less than twenty rods, and 

 their length twice as much, the river was entirely crowded 

 Out of its channel, and compelled to excavate a new one. 

 The island at B appears to have been a part of the 

 northern bank, w^hich was thrust farther into the stream 

 than the great mass of the bank that fell. The island C 

 seems to have been the former southern bank of the 

 river* The greater part of the stream now runs on the 

 south side of it. The dotted lines passing over the slide 

 show the former bed of the river, as nearly as I could 



determine it. 



The northern bank, back of the slide, (D, D, D, D,) is 



elevated thirty or forty feet above the river. Its surface 

 is more or less covered with small yellow pines, and 

 these are the trees that are seen so abundant on the por- 



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