50 GEOLOGICAL AGE AND FORMATION, 



In this county the marsh extends along its whole sea- 

 side, a distance of thirty-two miles. It is from two to three 

 miles and a half wide, including the beaches. An in- 

 spection of the Map will give a good idea of this line of 

 marshes, of the several beaches which bound it on the sea- 

 side, and of the inlets and other water-courses by which the 

 sea water -enters and penetrates the marsh in every direc- 

 tion. The tide enters the inlets with a good deal of cur- 

 rent, and causes wear and shifting of the channels and 

 sand-bars ; and the marsh wears in some places where it is 

 most exposed; but generally there is an increase in the 

 marsh surface, and a diminution in the area covered by 

 water. The sedge-roots extend out into the water, mud is 

 entangled in them, and soon strong sods are formed ; and in 

 this way the sounds and bays are continually diminished 

 in area. Ditches and narrow passages, if left uncared for 

 a few years, become entirely filled up by these roots. Sods 

 torn off from the edges of the marsh have been deposited 

 in the shallow water in the sounds, where they have taken 

 root, and soon became islands of considerable size. Many 

 such islands can be pointed out by those who have been 

 familiar with the sounds for a long time. " Old pilots say 

 they used often to run in the sounds with their boats 

 during northeast storms, and that then they were so large 

 as to be like bays ; now they find it difficult to get in at 

 all." Several old maps which I have seen also represent 

 the area of water in the marsh as being greater than it 

 is now. 



§ There is a kind of regularity in the arrangement of 

 the sounds, in relation to the beaches, which is worthy of 



