THE SEINE, THE MEUSE, AND THE MOSELLE 
191 
The case of the Ste. Auslreberte . — Not far below the city of Rouen 
and precisely at the small town of Duclair, on the north hank 
of the Seine, there is an interesting little occurrence strongly 
confirmatory of the invigorated habit of the swinging river. 
Duclair is situated on the outer side of a large north-turninsr 
meander. Into this north-turning meander descends a Ions: 
sloping spur from the upland south of the river ; east and west 
of Duclair similar long sloping spurs descend from the northern 
upland into the adjacent south-turning meanders. On looking 
closely at the map of the country or, still better, on looking over 
the region itself from the top of the bluff at the back of the town, 
it is seen that the western of the two northern spurs is obliquely 
cut across b_y a narrow, diy, flat-hottomed valley, Avhich is just 
in continuation of the course of a little stream known as the Ste. 
Austreberte, coming from the northeast and mouthing in the 
Seine at Duclair. The dry valley was evidentl}’ at one time fol- 
lowed by the lower course of this stream, and it is still followed 
by tbe highway and the railway, for which it serves for a “ short- 
cut” on their way down the Seine. (See Plate XXI.) 
The question then arises. Why has the stream deserted so well 
])repared a path ? The answer is not far to seek. The change 
evidently occurred because the Duclair meander of the Seine 
pushed its inclosing bluff further and further north until the 
river cut through the ridge that separated it from the Ste. Aus- 
treberte and thus tempted that stream to desert its lower course. 
This little fact, taken in connection with the sloj^es of the dove- 
tailing spurs, fully justifies the opinion that the Seine is a most 
vigorous river, not only competent to swing around the curves 
of its former meanders, but demanding an increased radius for 
every curve, and thus widening its meander belt. Here and 
there, it is true, the swinging course of the river departs some- 
what irregularly from the round curves of its valley, as if the 
river had shrunk somewhat awa}’’ from the strong curves which 
it once followed. This may ])erhaps l)e ex[)lained as the result 
of the diminishing velocity of the river, now that it has cut its 
new valley deep l^elow the adjacent upland and close to tbe con- 
trolling baselevel, but the irregularities are exce[)tional and 
they need not be further considered. As a whole, the river may 
be regarded as an able-bodied stream turning vigorously from 
curve to curve on its way to the sea.* 
♦An iicoiclent of the Ste. Aiifitrel)erto tyjie is found in the valley of the Marne a short 
distance helow .Meaux, where the Grand Morin now joins tlio Marne at Isles-les-Villo- 
noy, ahandoniiif^a former lower course which I6d it to I’rccy. 
