﻿430 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  traffic 
  and 
  commerce, 
  and 
  increasing 
  the 
  prosperity 
  of 
  the 
  

   country 
  already 
  improved 
  by 
  drainage 
  and 
  cultivation. 
  

  

  f) 
  On 
  the 
  banks 
  of 
  many 
  rivers 
  left 
  to 
  nature 
  but 
  a 
  scanty 
  

   population 
  exists, 
  invariably 
  affected 
  and 
  often 
  decimated 
  by 
  

   epidemics, 
  and 
  generally 
  exhibiting 
  an 
  imperfect 
  physical 
  and 
  

   mental 
  development. 
  After 
  regulation, 
  and 
  by 
  draining 
  and 
  

   cultivating 
  the 
  adjoining 
  country, 
  these 
  evils 
  disappear, 
  the 
  

   inhabitants 
  improve 
  in 
  health, 
  strength 
  and 
  intelligence, 
  the 
  

   population 
  increases, 
  new 
  villages 
  spring 
  up, 
  and 
  prosperity 
  

   reigns 
  where 
  before 
  disease 
  and 
  poverty 
  were 
  rife. 
  The 
  govern- 
  

   ment 
  earns 
  the 
  hearty 
  thanks 
  of 
  all 
  thus 
  benefited, 
  and 
  has 
  at 
  

   the 
  same 
  time 
  fully 
  recouped 
  the 
  capital 
  laid 
  out 
  on 
  the 
  works 
  

   by 
  the 
  increased 
  revenues 
  derived 
  from 
  the 
  improved 
  condition 
  

   of 
  the 
  country. 
  

  

  Where 
  such 
  an 
  improvement 
  of 
  the 
  waterway 
  has 
  been 
  

   rationally 
  executed, 
  in 
  accordance 
  with 
  the 
  particular 
  nature 
  

   and 
  requirements 
  of 
  the 
  locality, 
  most, 
  if 
  not 
  all, 
  of 
  the 
  above 
  

   advantages 
  have 
  been 
  secured; 
  as 
  may 
  be 
  proved 
  by 
  numerous 
  

   instances 
  of 
  works 
  of 
  the 
  kind 
  executed 
  years 
  back 
  in 
  France. 
  

   Germany, 
  Austria, 
  Switzerland 
  and 
  Italy. 
  Moreover, 
  the 
  fact 
  

   that 
  the 
  chambers 
  of 
  deputies 
  of 
  these 
  states 
  have, 
  during 
  the 
  

   last 
  few 
  years, 
  repeatedly 
  devoted 
  hundreds 
  of 
  millions 
  of 
  florins 
  

   to 
  the 
  completion 
  of 
  works 
  already 
  begun, 
  and 
  to 
  new 
  under- 
  

   takings 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  kind, 
  is 
  a 
  proof 
  that 
  the 
  importance 
  and 
  

   advantage 
  of 
  such 
  improvements 
  are 
  fully 
  recognized. 
  

  

  As 
  a 
  complete 
  description 
  of 
  even 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  works 
  

   of 
  this 
  kind 
  would 
  far 
  exceed 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  a 
  short 
  paper, 
  the 
  

   author 
  must 
  confine 
  himself 
  to 
  a 
  brief 
  review 
  of 
  those 
  success- 
  

   fully 
  accomplished 
  on 
  the 
  Ehine. 
  

  

  The 
  Ehine, 
  between 
  Basle 
  and 
  Mannheim, 
  has 
  for 
  centuries 
  

   followed 
  a 
  tortuous 
  course, 
  abounding 
  in 
  sharp 
  bends 
  and 
  

   dividing 
  into 
  many 
  branches, 
  through 
  a 
  valley 
  between 
  5000 
  and 
  

   6000 
  metres 
  broad. 
  Having 
  further 
  repeatedly 
  shifted 
  its 
  course, 
  

   the 
  whole 
  valley 
  became 
  cut 
  up 
  by 
  old 
  channels; 
  to 
  a 
  considerable 
  

   extent, 
  too, 
  its 
  natural 
  fall 
  was 
  lost, 
  owing 
  to 
  its 
  sinuous 
  course, 
  

   and 
  consequently 
  the 
  rate 
  and 
  force 
  of 
  the 
  currents 
  were 
  so 
  much 
  

   diminished 
  that 
  deposit 
  accumulated 
  everywhere, 
  raising 
  the 
  

   bed 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  and 
  mean 
  water-level 
  to 
  such 
  a 
  degree 
  that 
  the 
  

   adjoining 
  country 
  was 
  little- 
  better 
  than 
  a 
  swamp. 
  The 
  bed 
  of 
  

   the 
  Ehine 
  being 
  thus 
  elevated, 
  and 
  its 
  course 
  so 
  irregular, 
  the 
  

   flood-water 
  could 
  not 
  flow 
  off 
  rapidly 
  enough, 
  but 
  spread 
  abroad, 
  

   inundating 
  the 
  neighborhood, 
  and 
  destroying 
  whole 
  villages 
  and 
  

   townships. 
  

  

  The 
  riverside 
  communities 
  had 
  in 
  all 
  ages 
  attempted, 
  by 
  dams 
  

   and 
  other 
  protective 
  works, 
  to 
  abate 
  these 
  evils, 
  but 
  with 
  little 
  

  

  