190 
THE SEINE, THE MEUSE, AND THE MOSELLE 
dwindling territory of a petty prince between the encroaching 
kingdoms of powerful rulers on either side. The evidence of this 
will appear when we examine the characteristics of the three rivers. 
TJie vigorov,s meanders of the Seine . — The Seine, after gathering 
in its upper branches both above and below Paris, pursues a 
strongly meandering course to the sea. Its lower valley is sunk 
with rather steep sides in a comparatively even upland, which 
itself is a surface of denudation. Although without complete 
])roof on this point, I am led to suppose that this gently rolling 
upland is an uplifted peneplain — that is, a denuded region that 
was once reduced to a surface of moderate relief close to its con- 
trolling Ijaselevel, and then raised Ijy some gentle process of 
elevation to its present altitude. During the development of the 
})eneplain the Seine, the master river of the region, must have 
attained an extremely faint grade, and at the same time have 
taken on tlie halnt of swinging from side to side in comparatively 
regular curves or meanders such as are characteristic of rivers 
with gentle sloi)e. With the uplift of the region the meandering 
river would proceed to incise its channel beneath the uplifted 
surface, and thus Ram.say accounted for its peculiar intrenched 
meanders many years ago. They seem to be features of old age 
retained in youth of the present cycle of denudation as an in- 
heritance from an advanced stage of a preceding cycle. 
In the second C3^cle of denudation, now in progress, the belt 
of country inclosed by lines tangent to the outer meander curves 
of the Seine seems to have broadened to greater Avidth than it 
possessed before the uplift of the region occurred. The evidence 
of this is seen in the long sloping descent of each tongue of land 
which enters one of the river curves and from which the river 
seems to have receded, while the outer side of the swinging cur- 
rent undercuts a bluff of steep descent from the upland, as if 
the river were pressing against it. If the meandering river had 
cut down its channel vertically the slopes on the two sides of its 
present course should be symmetrical.* The reason for the in- 
creased breadth of the meander belt appears to be in the increased 
velocity given to the river in consequence of the uplift of the 
region. Many similar cases might be mentioned, but none show 
more clearh’ than the Seine the special features of an invigorated 
river. The great curves around which it savings fit in nearly all 
cases close to the bluff on their outer side. It is an able-bodied 
river, a river of a robust habit of life. 
*See note Vjy A. Winslow in Science, 1893. 
