THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



-^MBi m^mmmM. 



AN OBSERVATION POST ON THE FIRING TINE 



The sea makes a desperate attempt to gain a foothold near Portland Head Light, Cape Eliza- 

 beth, Maine, but with little success 



there is a different story. Here the ice 

 negotiated a separate peace with the sea, 

 and, sweeping eastward across New 

 York, scooped out what is now Long 

 Island Sound, thus enabling the enemy 

 to isolate the island entirely from the 

 mainland. 



WHEN THE LAND ASSUMES THE 

 OFFENSIVE 



On the south coast of Long Island we 

 find beaches and shifting sands. Here 

 again we get into more hopeful territory, 

 for the land always has an upbuilding 

 Oliver for every down-tearing Roland 

 the sea may have to offer. From Shin- 

 necock Bay to Fire Island, a rampart of 

 sand some 40 miles long has been thrown 

 forward off the real shore-line, and the 

 sea, pounding against this in its maddest 

 fury, encounters a buffer that throws it 

 back a helpless and exhausted foe. More- 

 over, the sea is compelled to surrender 

 captive sands taken up elsewhere, and 



these are re-equipped and put into the 

 front trenches of the island's south-shore 

 defenses. 



Farther west on Long Island lies Rock- 

 away Beach, the advanced line of de- 

 fenses which the land has been throwing 

 out to thwart the attack of the sea at 

 the apex of the Jamaica Bay salient. 

 What was once Pelican Beach has all but 

 disappeared and what is left of it is now 

 known as Barren Island. But Rockaway 

 Beach has gained ground westward as 

 fast as Pelican Beach has been driven 

 eastward, and has now all but landlocked 

 Jamaica Bay and its islands. It advances 

 at the rate of two feet every three days. 



SANDY HOOK AN ADVANCE GUARD 



On the Jersey Coast, Sandy Hook 

 stands out as an advance guard of the 

 forces of the land, determined to cut 

 through the line of communications of the 

 sea in its drive into the Raritan Bay sa- 

 lient (see map, page 535). 



