The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1839-10-03
From Chambers Continental Travels.
HOW HOLLAND WAS FORMED

hoh uOILAND WAC TURNED
The manner in which the country has
been rendered habi,able TO human beings.
Is me Of the most surprising facts in ply
steal geography. The whole Of the ter
rilory, from the Texel on the north. to
pretty nearly Calais on The south. con-
pretending large part Of Holland and
Belgium, and part Of France. is in al.
most al parts perfectly level, and. If il
had not been indebted to arr. would have
been = general marsh, or included within
the influence Of the sea. On looking al
this extensive territory, and then pro-
ceeding inland 10 the higher regions Of
Germany, the conclusion naturally arises.
that The whole 81 the low countries are
simply an slluvial deposi,e, washed from
the Alpine regions Of the interior. The
lard every where, on being dug. is sand
or clay. You may travel hundreds Of
miles, and never see a stone. At this
present hour, land is forming on the coas,
Of Holland, and by a very obvious pro-
cess. Tie waters OF The Rhine in all IFS
branches are exceedingly muddy, or load
ed with particles Of clay and sand. wash.
ed from the upper country and these
are carried out TO sea, where they are
sinking 10 the bottom and forming sand
banks. At The mouth Of the Mas. long
sandy reaches produced in this manner,
are scen al certain states OF The tide. Al.
really they exhib, tufts Of heritage, and
are resorled TO by 1ocks of sea birds; and
there can be no doubt, that, by very
liule trouble, many square miles OF new
land might al present be added to the
coas, Of Holland. The exact process by
which the low countries have been saved
from the sea. has never yet been fully
detailed. Nature having, in the FIRST in
stance, produced an alluvial marsh, Ger.
tain degree Of art has been employed to
raise barriers to proven, the influx Of
/ the sea; and this point being secured,
| the mex, step has been TO drain The land
piecemeal. by pumping, the water being
raised so as to flaw off by channels To-
10 the sea at low Tide. Much stress is
! laid by writers on the prodigious trou
BILE taken by the NeIherlanders to Keep
out the sea. by means Of artificial bull
warks along the coast. But on TIN;
poin, there is some exaggeratIon, and
one very material circumstance is entire
! " omitIei TO be noticed. II is only al
certain places that great exerllons are
made BY means of artificial dykes, Ia
keek GU. the sea. Nature, as II anx'
ious 10 save the county from tidal IN
nndalion, has. for centuries. been ener
ge.ically working 10 increase the mag
nitude OF the mounds on the coast. A
Iow water, when the bare beach is expos
ed To The action Of The winds from th'
German Ocean. clouds Of sand are rals
ed in,p the air, aud showered down up
on the country for at leas. mile inlano
and this constantly going on, the reso'
il, tina, along the whole line, from h@r
lem 10 about Duukirk or Calais, the coas
consists of sandy mounds or downs, o
orea, breadth, partially covered VIII
GRASS and heath, bu, unh. for pasturage o
sny other purpose. In some places Ines s
downs look like series ofirregular hui
and. when seen from the tops OF IN
s,eeples, they are so huge as TO shut o!
,he view Of the sea. The traveller.
wishing them from the plains. all a, one
, ascenJs into region of deser. barrennes
lie walks on and on for miles IN WI
: Jerness such as nigh, be expected to
, ,een in Africa, and at last emerges Q
thc sea.shore, where she mode 81 ere
' \ Nv w.