238 GEOLOGICAL CHANGES OF THE 
tion of Earl Goodwin’s estate. It happened 
1771, after severe rains which had in 
duced great inundations of the rivers. The ioi 
concise description of the spot where tliis event 
Along the side of the river Esk is a vale, ^ 
breadth, bounded on tlie south-east by the W 
the north-west by a steep hank, about thirty ree W 
above the level of the vale. From the top o* 
of 
^ 
mile° where it is terminated by the moss, vt'hk ' f. 
the ground rises on an easy ascent for about 
about two miles north and south, and about ^ 
half east and west, being bounded on mii 3 ), j 
the river Sark. It is probable that the solid ^1 
the top of tlie bank above the vale,_ was 1 
game direction under the moss, before its a 
considerable space ; for the moss, at the plac® s-JtJ 
irruption happened, was inclined towards 
ground. From the edge of tlie moss there 
hollow, called by the country people thn g(ip>_ r 
be thirty yards deep where it entered the ' ^ |y 
hollow ran a small rill of water, which was 
lilted 
summer, not having any other supply but what ^ 
the moss. ^ 
The irruption happened, at the head of yiir’.'i’ 
night of the iQth of November, between the < _,i t',. 
an'd eleven, wlicn all the neighbouring rivers 
were prodigiously swollen by the rains. A 
aa^'j; 
latl;^.jilii 
were proQigiousiy swollen oy me uuus. of ” 1* 
the moss was forced, partly by the great tal g\j 
pardy by the springs beneath, into a small tl'^jj,*J 
which runs within a few yards of its bordei ly 
By the united pressure of the \vater t> ^ 
east, r - . , -f 
of this beck, which was dren very high, b- 
down a narrow glen between two banks aboU 
dred feet high, into a wide and spacious 
of which it spread with great rapidity. I he 
nued for some time to send off considerable 
its substance, which, being borne alon^ by " ■ 
the back of the first great body, kept it for 
perpetual motion, and drove it still farther , y ^ 
the first night, at least four hundred acres ° ^ 
land were covered with moss from three to ^ 
AMI I LA WV.,10 V v-i ' — • ■ — . __ 
teen feet iu depth. Several hotites were des 
itrof 
