PBevbnTion op landslips. 249 



A similar case is reported by him, as having been seen by him in Tessin, 

 imperilhng the village of Campo. In this case the process was more 

 advanced than in that at Meyronnes ; the river Eovana, an affluent , of the 

 Maggia, having attacked the mountain on which the village was standing. 



In neither of these cases was the ground in movement wooded. But he 

 mentions also the crumbling of a portion of a forest of Norway firs, 120 

 metres long by 90 broad, at Gtiruigel Bruck, on the mount^n of Giiruigel, 

 on the east slope of which is the source of the torrent Gtirbe ; and he states 

 that in the forest of the Giirbe are immense heaps of rubbish, the remains 

 of former landslips, while at a higher level are the denuded mountain 

 sides, whence the material has slid. But it is mentioned by him that 

 above the land bared by the landslips specified, and distant only a few 

 metres from the summit of the mountain, are to be seen nuinerous springs. 

 And to water thus supplied may be attributed the landslips which have 

 occurred. 



Such is one of the aspects of the enterprise ; it is to prevent landslips as 

 well as to preserve the lower-lying valleys from dejections. 



In all such cases as these last cited there is required drainage and 

 desiccation as well as reboisement and gazonnement. 



" When the landslips are occasioned by infiltrations of water into ground 

 which retains it in great quantity — as, for example, at Meyronnes, or at 

 the Gtirbe — it is of primary importance," says M. Marschand, " to cut off 

 these waters. How this is to be done must be determined by a careful 

 study of the ground, which must be brought, if possible, into a healthy 

 state — (1) By turning off and leading away to a distance from the lands, in 

 movement all the streamlets flowing thither ; (2) Causing all waters, which 

 traverse these lands to follow the line of most rapid declivity ; (3) Seaiiching 

 out the sources which feed the mud, and draining them by carrying off the 

 water by ditches and by tile-drains j and (4) Suppressing irrigation on, ,or 

 above the lands in movement." 



The work of reboisement — applying that term, as is often done, to the 

 whole of the operation of reforesting the denuded mountains — is thus found 

 to embrace in practice a variety of operations over and above ji^ei mere 

 sowing of seeds and planting of trees. The object aimed at is the extinc- 

 tion of the torrent, and nothing tending to the accomplishment! of this, is 

 neglected, and there is a pleasurable excitement experienced in observing 

 how this is done. 



" The extinction of a torrent," says Cezanne, " is a struggle with a for- 

 midable foe, in which are called into exercise the same qualifications whiph 

 command success in war,^bravery, energetic perseverance, and that sijige 

 tact which discerns the weak point in an enemy and carries the. attack 

 direct to the heart of his defences." And he cites the torrent of Vachferes 

 as an interesting illustration of the stratagetic skill with which the works 

 employed have been distributed in the basin of the torrent., , ,; , 



" The torrent of Vach^res, (says he,) one of the very worst in the Alps, is 

 on the left bank of the Durance, over against Embrun, and in the plain its 

 vast cone of sterile gravel presents a sad contvast to the rioli cultiya.ted 

 grounds by which it is bordered, and which by it are menaced. This 

 torrent is in reality a small mountain, river, its hassin de recepti^fi, covering 

 aa area of 7000 hectares, or well nigh 3000 acres, embraces exc5iva,tiyniS in 



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