RIVER. 



quence warped up wtfh the fediment there depolited ; and 

 by this means an additional weiglit of water is thrown againft 

 the oppofite bank ; which, if the growing caufe oi mifchief 

 be not fpeedily removed, will in a lliort time be much torn 

 away, and, in a courfe of years, a bend or bay be formed in 

 the adjoining ground of the proprietor, nearly oppoiite to 

 the root or other body, with a correfponding bank of fand 

 or gravel, united with and becoming part ot the lands on tins 

 fide. But if the grounds, on this iide, are equally vull 

 as thofe of the oppoiite neighbour, there is no caufe of exul- 

 tation in the increafe of territory. For while the current 

 is leaving the proprietor on this fide, perhaps a worthlefs 

 fand-bank near the obflruction is, by a natural law oi 

 river-currents, fcooping out a bay below, and giving to his 

 oppofite neighbour an incrcaling territory in that part. And 

 thus a natural lofs of valuable land is incurred on each fide ; 

 and the evil (in this cafe) continually increafing; until tin- 

 banks are fecurcly defended, or the current is retrained, 

 and directed into its former channel. The remedies in this 

 cafe are two; iirll, to Iheath the injured banks of the bays 

 on both fides, with fuch materials as will refill the circuitous 

 current, and let the river remain in its crooked ftate ; and, 

 fecondly, to erect a pier at the higher point of the bend on 

 the oppofite fide of the river, to parry off the force of the 

 current from the bank of it, and dirocTt it forward ; with the 

 twofold intention of preventing further mifchief, and of 

 bringing back the courfe of the river to its former ftate of 

 ftraightnefs, as much as pofiible. 



It is likewife ftated, that the operation of guarding the 

 immediate bank of a (harp river-bend againft a heavy cur- 

 rent, meeting with great refiftance, is generally a work of 

 much difficulty and cxpence, even where materials can be 

 eafily procured ; while that of diverting the current may 

 frequently be accomplifhed at a comparatively fraall coll ; 

 and its effect be rendered infinitely more falutary and per- 

 manent. As it is evident that, if the accidental obflruction 

 mentioned had been timely removed, ne bad effect would 

 have enfued, and the river would have continued its direct 

 courfe. Or if, through neglect, it had been fuffered to 

 remain awhile, until its mifchief was difcoverablc, even then, 

 if it had been moved from its ilation to the oppofite fide of 

 the river, and placed in the part affeited, this fmall countcr- 

 poife might have recovered the balance of the current, and 

 directed it into its wonted channel. And in almoll any cafe, 

 he thinks, by judicioufiy placing, in a fimilar manner, an ob- 

 ftrudtion proportioned to the magnitude of the power to be 

 counteracted, the like effect may be produced. As, for 

 inftance, if, in the cafe propofed, the pier or river-guide 

 above-mentioned were to be erected by the proprietor on 

 the oppofite fide of the river, and to be inclined towards the 

 itream, or direct courfe of the river, in a degree proportioned 

 to the ftrength of its current (a rapid current requiring lefs 

 bias than a (low one), and of a li/.e in like proportion, not 

 only the banks of the bay or bend would be defended, in a 

 great degree, from the action of floods, but the fand-bed 

 formed on this fide would be worn away, and its materials 

 depolited in the bay on the other fide ; which alfo being 

 rendered ftagnant, comparatively, with the current of the 

 river, would receive the depofits of foul waters in times of 

 floods ; and thus, in a twofold manner, be refilled and 

 brought back toward its former flate. And, further, thai 

 if, when the gravel bank on this fide is fufficiently removed, 

 the proprietor on the fame fide were to erect a fimilar pier 

 at the higher point of the bend on the fame fide, the (and or 

 gravel bank on the other fide would, in like manner, In- 

 worn away, the bay on this fide be returned to its original 



proprietor, and the ftraight courfe of the river be regained; 

 then the piers ought to be removed, whether they belong 

 to one or two proprietors ; the latter having generally 

 a mutual intereft in directing the river, winch Separates 

 their properties, into a ftraight courfe, as much as can be 

 done. 



It is ftated, that in the confirmation of a river-guide 

 tor tlii;; purpofe, there are certan principles and'par- 

 ticulars of practice to be obferved. It is fuggefted that its 

 pofition fhould be fuch as to produce the required effect, 

 with the leaft degree of refiftance. For the current of a 

 river, as the waves of the fea, ought to be fubdued by 

 flratagem rather than by force. Refiftance ferves but to 

 increafe their fury. A wave falling on a flat fhore, feems 

 to die without a ftruggle ; while one that is ftemmed by an 

 abrupt rock Itrikes with tenfold force. And, in like 

 manner, a rapid river will glide fmoothly along the fide of 

 an even bank, though it may fomewhat deviate from the 

 duvet courfe ; without perceptibly dilturbing the current, 

 or injuring the bank that directs it, even though merely of 

 turf. But when a ftrong current meets with an abrupt 

 projection, or a (harp bend in its channel, its fury is roufed. 

 There, rock is fometimes barely fufficient to refiit its force. 

 On thefe principles it is, therefore, conceived, that in eroding 

 a pier with this intention, it ought to be made to unite evenly 

 with the natural bank of the river above it, and, where the 

 required deviation from a ftraight line is conliderable, the 

 face of the pier ought to pafs off from the natural bank with 

 a fmooth hollow curve, that the force of the current may 

 not be checked. But its outer or lower end fhould be 

 ftraight, or nearly fo, and be directed, as apiece of ordnance, 

 to the object it is intended to deftroy — to the obltruction it is 

 intended to remove ; and it may be obferved, that the nearer 

 it approaches this, the greater will be the action of the 

 current upon it, in times of flood ; and the lefs liable the 

 itream will be, at low water, to turn back into its former 

 channel. For, in cafes of this kind, the current of a flood, 

 and that of low water, (if not better directed,) take different 

 courfes, according to their heights and ftrengths. The one 

 rufhea forward in the direction delired, the other, unable to 

 furmount the obflruction, and flagging for want of ftrength 

 at the point of the pier, doubles it -, and falls back into the 

 bay with an accelerated current ; directed, perhaps, llraight 

 to the injured bank ; and may thus increafe, perhaps, rather 

 than [n-event, the injury. But in order to remedy this evil 

 effect, and to direct the current, at every height, into the 

 fame channel, it will generally be found right, where it can 

 be done, and at a reafonable expence, to cut a channel through 

 the obltructing bank, large enough to admit the llivam at 

 low water ; depofiting the materials which are railed in 

 doing it at the point of the pier, and againll the foot of the 

 injured bank : by thefe means not only preventing further 

 injury to the lands on the oppofite fide, but greatly alhlliug 

 the action of the flood-currents to force their way through 

 the channel, and enlarge it ; and, in a Ihort time, lay open the 

 required courfe. For although, by this procedure, the bay 



on that fide might noi I"- fo I adily and completely filled up, 

 as it would by fuffering the current to throw back the 

 obltruction, by degrees, in the manner above reprefented ; 



yet the advantage of putting an immediate flop to the 



ravage ibothof Hoods and of low water, might counterbalance 



that defect; even though the pier were thereby rendered 



i rv i" lie kept up in perpetuity. The expence of the 



cut may generally he faved in the required length of the pier ; 



whole u(e, in this eale, is, merely that of giving an eafj 

 bend to the current ; fo as to enable it to find its own way 



to 



