ON THE ALLUVIUM OF THE BEDFORD LEVEL. 103 
tions which have taken place in the " Great Level/^ I feel war- 
ranted in drawing the following inferences. 
First. That about the period of the emergence of the Eastern 
portion of England from the ocean a debacle passed over it, 
which deposited the drift upon the Oxford and Kimmeridge 
clays, the substrata of what is now the Bedford Level. 
Second. That, after the elevation of the Level above the ocean, 
a lake was formed, the superfluous waters of which passed off 
by the valley of the lesser Ouse. 
Third. That upon the disruption of the solid strata on the 
eastern margin of the lake, at the time of the formation of the 
trough of the German ocean, the lake was drained through the 
embouchure now called the Wash. 
Fourth. That after this catastrophe, the Level became a mo- 
rass, with the more elevated spots clothed with forests ; and the 
moor was formed, which now constitutes the lower bed of moor 
in the sections^ it having been covered by silt deposited by the 
freshes from the high grounds. 
Fifth. That this was the state of the Level upon the arrival of 
the Romans, who embanked, cleared, and cultivated portions of 
it. 
Sixth. That upon the retiring of the Romans from this island, 
the Level again became a morass, and a second time drowned 
by the freshes ; forming and depositing, during the interval be- 
tween the retirement of the Romans and the commencement of 
its drainage by the Earl of Bedford, the upper bed of moor 
and the silt reposing on it constituting the present surface of 
the Bedford Level. 
Seventh. That certain parts of the Level were subject to inun- 
dations from the sea, and consequent despositions of its silt, 
containing marine testacese, as exemplified in the brick-field at 
Lynn, and near to Boston. 
