

4 



\ 



3 



3 



1 



Ca.XXl.1 



MOUTHS OF THE RHINE. 



5 5 I 



Waal 



Y 



and partly to the ocean by the Leek. As the whole coast to 

 the south as far as Ostend, and on the north to the entrance 

 of the Baltic, has, with few exceptions, from time immemo- 

 rial yielded to the force of the waves, it is evident that the 

 common delta of the Rhine, Meuse, and Scheldt, (for these 

 three rivers may all be considered as discharging their waters 

 into the same part of the sea,) would, if its advance had not 

 been checked, have become extremely prominent ; and even 

 if it had remained stationary, would long ere this have pro- 

 jected far beyond the rounded outline of the coast, like that 



Missis 



sippi 



zujul But we find, on the contrary, that the islands which 

 skirt the coast have not only lessened in size, but in number 

 also, while great bays have been formed in the interior by 



incursions of the sea. 



In order to explain the incessant advance of the ocean on 

 the shores and inland country of Holland, M. E. de Beau- 

 mont has suggested that there has in all probability been a 

 general depression or sinking of the land below its former 

 level over a wide area. Such a change of level would enable 

 the sea to break through the ancient line of sand-banks and 

 islands which protected the coast- would lead to the en- 

 largement of bays, the formation of new estuaries, and ulti- 

 mately to the entire submergence of land. These views 

 appear to be supported by the fact that several peat-mosses 

 of freshwater origin now occur under the level of the sea, 

 especially on the site of the Zuyder Zee and Lake Flevo, pre- 

 sently to be mentioned. Several e 



made 



Rotterdam 



that below the level of the ocean, the soil near the coast con- 

 sists of alternations of sand with marine shells, and beds ot 

 peat and clay, which have been traced to the depth of hity 



feet and upwards."* , 



I have said that the coast to the south as far as Ostend 



has given way. This statement 



may at first seem 



t 



* M. E. de Beaumont, Geologie Pratique, vol. i. p. 316, and ibid. p. 200. 



