GENERAL DESCRIPTIONS AND FACTS.

7

principal towns of the empire, or of large portionsof them. As they almost every where tell a plaintale as to their former submergence by the sea, theidea may the more naturally occur, that, were theyby any accident re-immersed, a very important de-duction would be made from the geographical area,and still more from the productive resources, of ourisland.

6. As striking examples of this class of lands,

I may point to the sea-side plain stretching forseveral miles on both sides of Chichester; to thesimilar plain extending along the south shore of theBristol Channel , between Weston-super-Mare andBridgewater; and to the broad expanses of low landin Lincolnshire and other parts of eastern England.The carses along the Forth and Tay—vast alluvialplains,—the low gravelly lands of Moray, and thealluvial grounds skirting the Clyde near Glasgow ,are examples of equally signal character in thenorthern part of the island.

7 . It may, I believe, he safely said, that a sea 44feet above the present would cover the whole of thedistricts referred to, excepting, perhaps, a few patches.The base of the comparatively steep ground risingfrom the interior line of these plains and stripes,even when they reach the highest grade of height,is usually at about that elevation, or a little lower,above the sea. An immersion, therefore, to thisextent would leave us with new coasts, not only