35 



8 



ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE 



4 



every day approaching to its termination ; and 

 the truth of this is attefted, not only by the lakes 

 that have exifted, but alfo by thofe that conti- 

 nue to exiit. Where any confiderable llream 

 enters a lake, a fiat meadow is ufiially obferved 

 increafing from year to year. The foil of this 

 meadow is difpofed in horizontal ftrata : the 

 meadow is terminated by a marlh ,; which marfli 

 is acquiring folidity, and is foon to be converted 

 into a meadow, as the meadow will be into an 

 arable field. All this while the fediment of the 

 river makes its way flowly into the lake, forming 

 a mound or bank under the furface of the wa- 

 ter, with a pretty rapid flope toward the lake. 

 This mound increafes by the addition of new 

 earth, fand, and gravel, poured in over the flope ; 

 and thus the progrefs of filling up continually 

 advances. 



320. In fmali lakes, this progrefs may eafilybe 

 traced ; and will be found fingularly confpicuous 



in that beautiful affemblage of lakes, which fo 

 highly adorns the mountain fcenery of Welt- 

 moreland and Cumberland. Among thefe a 

 grea: number of infl:ances appear, in which lakes 

 are either partially filled up, or have entirely 

 difappcared. In the Lake of Kefwick, we not 

 only difcover the marks of filling up at the up- 

 per end, which extend far into Borrowdale, from 

 ■which valley a fmall river flows into the lake ; but 



we have the clearefl: proof, that this lake was once 



united 



