WATER SUPPLY AND PUBLIC HEALTH. 
33 
when draining was unknown. The neighbouring heavier lands 
were then generally thickly wooded. 
Many interesting questions are associated with this inquiry. 
We can often trace out the earliest settlements of a district 
along the outcrops of certain strata yielding the best soil and an 
abundant supply of water ; that they are the earliest settlements 
is evident from an examination of the relations of their parish 
or township boundaries to the neighbouring hill ranges, and 
sometimes also from a study of their names.* 
In the course of thirteen centuries many changes have been 
wrought on the physical features of the country. Forests have 
all but disappeared from the plains and the hill slopes, fens and 
morasses have been drained. As a consequence partly of these 
changes many springs which once ran strongly now give but a 
short and inconstant supply ; streams are lessened in flow, and 
are often nearly dried up in summer. The climate has become 
drier ; but whether the actual amount of rainfall has diminished 
during this period, and if so how far this change is due to man’s 
influence, are questions at present undecided. 
One result of modern agricultural drainage has been to brings 
the rainwater quickly down into the brooks, and hence the 
rivers have risen into flood more quickly than before. That 
the water does descend more quickly after rain than it did 
some years back, is a matter of common observation amongst 
anglers and farmers; they also remark that the rivers more 
rapidly regain their ordinary level than they used to do. Thes& 
observers, in common with nearly all agricultural authors, 
explain these facts by the prevalence of drainage. Mr. R. 
Rawlinson and the Rev. J. C. Clutterbuck, however, deny this ; f 
and the former states that the object of drainage being to carry 
the water down through the soil, the result must be to retard 
the flow of water. 
But whatever may be the result of under-draining cultivated 
lands, there can be no doubt of the effect of trenching the 
upland pastures, moors, and peat bogs, amongst which most of 
the northern rivers take their rise. Peat acts like a sponge in 
absorbing the rainfall ; the surface of some bogs often rise 
very considerably when distended by water, and at times when 
over-strained the surface bursts and considerable damage ensues. 
But this is only the case with what are termed “flowes” or 
shaking bogs, which generally occur at low levels ; and it rarely 
happens with the peat bogs of hill districts. 
* I have discussed this question in a paper 11 On the Relation of the 
Parish Boundaries in the South-East of England to great Physical Fea- 
tures, particularly to the Chalk Escarpment .” — a Journ. Anthrop. Inst.” 
vol. iii. p. 32, 1873.) 
t See their letters in the u Times ” for November 16 and 19, 1875. 
VOL. XV. — NO. LVIII. D 
