No. 161.] 81 
finer particles of sand are formed into hillocks, which are very 
slowly moving inland. 
" At Fresh Pond creek is a similar sand-beach. The small pond 
at that place communicates with the sea, by means of a small 
creek, which is often filled by alluvial sands, so as to prevent the 
ingress of the salt water. The obstruction has sometimes been re- 
moved by digging, and at others, the water, rising in the pond, 
bursts its barrier, and finds its way to the ocean, removing every 
obstacle, and making the channel deeper even than before. 
At Sunken-Meadows is a sand-beach one-half mile in length, 
through which a creek enters obliquely from the north-east. Mr. 
Abraham Smith says that this beach has extended thirty rods in an 
easterly direction, since his remembrance. 
" On the north part of Crane's neck is a shingle-beach, about a. 
mile in length, between Flax Pond and the Sound. The pond is 
skirted with marsh, and communicates wiih the sea by an opening 
called Flax Pond gut. The tidal current is so strong on this part 
of the coast, that the finer materials have been carried onwards, 
while the coarser, consisting of pebbles, varying in size from a 
marble to two or three inches in diameter, have been left to form 
• this beach. A large proportion of the finer materials appear to 
have been swept to the south-west part of the neck, where, having 
been deposited, they form shoals, and a long sand-beach between 
the sea and a marsh of several acres in extent.* 
By the action of water on the head-lands, sand-spits have been 
formed across the mouths of Old Man's, Drown Meadow, Setau- 
ket, Stony Brook and Smithtown harbors. They are rendered 
safer by these alluvial deposites, but they afford shelter only to 
vessels of small burthen, on account of sand-bars which extend 
from the extreme points of the sand-spits across their entrances, 
which, I am informed, in some instances, are moving westward." 
The subject of marine alluvion has been discussed more in de- 
tail than may seem consistent with the very general nature of the 
remarks, whio.h are intended to be made in the annual reports; but 
these deposites are a matter of so much importance to the com- 
munity, in varying the geographical arrangement of small tracts 
of land, in affecting the navigation, either beneficially or the re- 
* Sand from this beach is used in sawing marble. 
[Assem. No. 161.] 11 
