280 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 
— about three quarters of a mile. That on the west side of 
the river is in general of the most recent formation — on' 
the Musselburgh side it is generally more ancient. The 
greatest accumulation has been at the mouth of the Esk, and 
it has diminished gradually east and west, until little or no 
change has taken place at the extremities of the town lands. 
The frequent floods of the river Esk bring with them im- 
mense quantities of earth, sand, gravel, and stones from the 
hills and other lands through wdiich it passes. The velocity 
of the flood is immediately checked when it meets the tide 
at the mouth of the river ; and the matter wath which the 
water is charged is there deposited. The same deposit 
must take place during the low^ water also. The flood in 
that case expands over the immense shoals already formed 
there, where it loses its force and leaves the materials 
behind — according to the general law of subsidence, the 
stones lowest down, the gravel in the middle, and the earth 
and sand upon the top. Now, at every tide when there 
is any wind, but more especially during northerly winds, 
these materials formerly deposited are thrown up by the 
waves upon the beach at both sides of the Esk ; the gravel 
and sand mixed together, leaving the larger stones behind, 
where they form as it were a foundation to receive a new 
deposit. 
The gravel and sand thrown upon the beach by the 
waves are, however, thrown no higher than the tide mark. 
Another agent besides the sea is therefore necessary to 
raise them higher in order to form the dry land. That 
agent is the wind that blows from the northern half of the 
compass, during dry weather, and low water. These wdndsf 
blow up the fine sand (leaving the gravel behind) until it 
has by slow degrees raised the land into gentle undula-i 
tions varying from nothing, to 10 feet above tide mark.!, 
A fine species of sea bent binds the sand as it is formed,' 
whose roots gradually creep forward as the sea retires, and: 
this bent is again extirpated by finer grass, wild liquorice,! 
and a vast variety of other plants which follow. This bent! 
is frequently covered with sand after a storm, but it 
speedily reappears. The quantity of matter brought down 
