has retired within its banks as before the

inundation.

These are facts which no one who has bestowed the least attention to this fubject can fail to have obferved; and they clearly point out, that the first and most neceffary ftep towards a cure, is, to level down the edge of the bank that is next the water, fo as to make it flope gradually down towards the river,

If the bank is very high, and you have no other particular ufe for the earth that must be taken from it, the eafieft method of difpofing of it, will be to throw it into the river. But, in whatever manner you difpole of the earth, the flope of the bank must bẹ continued until the inner edge of it is as low as the surface of the water at the driest time of the year, and be made to afcend gradually upwards from the water with an easy Дlope, till it comes to the level of the ground,

ora

or, at leaft, rifes to fuch a height as the water never exceeds.

This operation ought to be performed as early in fummer as poffible, and the flope fhould be either immediately covered with turf, pared from the furface of fome field that has a very ftrong fward upon it; taking care to lay these in fuch a manner as to be in as little danger as poffible of being washed away by any accidental flood that might happen before they have grown together; or, if the turf of this kind cannot be easily had, it fhould be fowed very thick with the feeds of fome fmall matt-rooted grafs, that fhould be kept in readinefs for that purpose *.

If the ftream has not been extremely rapid at the foot of the bank, fome of the earth that was thrown into the water will be allowed to fubide to the bottom, and will

there

*The creeping meadow graís, Poa repente, is a proper grafs for this purpose.

there form a bed of loose foft earth, which will be of very great use afterwards in preventing the face of the bank under water from being washed away. But, in order to fecure this bulwark effectually for the future, the surface of this foft earth ought to be instantly stuck full of the roots of bogreeds, flags, water-fpiderwort, ruthes, and other matt-rooted aquatic plants; which, if allowed to remain till they have once ftruck root, will afterwards form a barrier that nothing will ever be able to deftroy. (See Fig. 8th, which reprefents a river with a high bank A; and Fig. 9th, where the fame bank is cut into a flope, and part of it thrown into the river, and aquatic plants growing thereon at B *).

But,

If there were a neceffity for producing any other authority, than the daily experience of every obferying man, to prove, that aquatic plants are not only

the

But, if the ftream be too rapid to admit of this, and the bank of foft earth is much deeper than the furface of the water, (as in Fig. 10th), it will be of great use to fill up the breast of the bank with loofe ftones carelessly thrown in, till they rife near the furface of the water, which would most effectually fecure it against any future encroachments, if the bank is floped away above, (as at Fig. 11th),

But,

the best means to be employed for preferving the earth from having encroachments made upon it by the water, but even for enabling it to gain upon that element, I would mention the ingenious Mr Hafslequift, who takes notice of a particular aquatic plant that grows upon the banks of the Nile; to the growth of which he does not scruple to say, that Egypt owes the formation of the whole country that is called the Delta; which, every body knows, has been entirely gained from the fea, without any human industry whatever,

But, if it should so happen that stones cannot be easily got for this purpose, the only refource that in this cafe remains, is to dig the bank fo low as that, at the undermoft edge, it may be always below the furface of the water, and carry it out in this way for a confiderable diftance, and then ftick the whole furface that is below the water full of matt-rooted aquatic plants; which will, in a great measure, if not entirely, defend it from any future encroachments.

This bank ought to continue to shelve downwards even where it is below water, (as at Fig. 12th), and thofe aquatics, that will grow in the greatest depth of water, be planted on the innermoft brink, and the others behind them. The water-spiderwort will grow in four feet depth of water, and the roots of the common yellow-flowered water-iris forms fuch a strong and compact covering upon the surface of the foil on which

it