The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1910-08-31

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ern. but the "Meols" are ancient
enough. for long before Jameson sang.
in 1886. It might have been said:
or those ehase sands which doe in f noun
On shore - It's pleasure to behold. which
Arc called in worold; wlndle ,emDes,
Them up in heapes.
The above derivation VIII scarcely
be questioned now. though wild excur.
sions have been taken into the realm
pr fanciful etymology In the past. One
Imagined that 'Meols'' came from the
smeally" appearance of the sand; aad
It has even been suggested that the
term was derived from two Greek
words. together meaning not sea-" or
mo longer sea-" The shore at South.
port is source Of delight to the lover
OF space and color. the play OF the light
on this almost unique surface is fascin.
attng. The sand assumes many shades
and charming half.tones. according to
Its different degrees OF dryness and
the infringement OF overwhelming light
upon it. and numerous streams. creeks
and pools break and contour with sinu.
Gus lines and silvery relief. The sky.
too, with nothing 10 break the horizon
Zine but the distant sea, is a wonderful
study. and as the setting sun nears its
dip" the slanting rays are shot be.
tween masses OF cloud and at obtuse
angles along the shore, bringing out
light and shade and tone and semi.
tone in distractIng beauty. A walk
along the sands at low tide in the eve
ming light is revelation OF spacious
and quiet loveliness.
The sandhiils are but seldom visited
save by those who know their secret.
and by the devotees OF golf. The going
IS TOO hard for the ordinary pedestrian.
and they are voted monotonous by
those who do not look beneath the
surface. That surface is ever.changing
in its form and is never ten minutes
the same in high-Iights and shadows;
every wind gives new shapes, and
every passing cloud alters the appear.
ance, while the direction OF the sun
when the sky is clear produce a
series OF constantly changing effects.
The dunes are an object.lesson in
blown sand. Scarcely anywhere else
around the English coast are cIrcum.
stances as favorable for this study as
here and further south along the same
shore.
Among the dunes themselves and
along the shore near at hand one may
find the materials and forces which
have produced the sandhills as they
are now-after process extending. 1t
Is estimated. over a period OF $500
years. The coast is low and fat and
the tide recedes a great distance. only
Rt Intervals approaching near TO the
base OF the line OF dunes. The fat ex.
Danse OF sand. rarely wholly covered.
dries on the surface and the particles
are blown along IN clouds; between
che tides. too. the exposed surface rap
idly dries. To walk along the shore in
3 high wind Is to have ones clothes
dlled with sand. and It is curious
sight 70 look down from the Southport
pier on TO the drifting clouds Of sand
being hurried along below. II the
stroller along the shore be- ooservant.
he may see the initial stage OF many a
Rsndhill at bis feet. Where a fragment
OF shell or other small obstruction has
become fixed few particles OF the
blown sand come TO a stop against II
on the windward side: more and more
particles are brought up by the OBJ
strucuon. and other particles which
have surmounted 1t come TO rest out
OF the wind" forming slanting tall
on the leeward side. Here Is a NINA.
lure dune, as perfect in its formation
and varying slopes as the giants OF
dts kind; an Illustration OF the way in
which the mighty heaps OF sand along
the coast Csome OF them rising 70 4
height Of over eighty feet above mean
sea level began to be. On the exposed
shore these baby sandh!lls are swept
away by the next tide; but ;hey Illus.
trate the genesis OF the dunes. When
the blown sand reaches a point above
tideIevel Il is no longer subject 10
such Interference as chat which denol.
fishes the tiny heap on the shore. and
SO the dunes are constantly being add,
ed 20.
The botany OF the sandhlIls Is full o!
interest. Two growths will strike the
visitor at once. the first in order o.
Beauty being the dwarf willow CSal!x
repens). This Is beautiful at al! sea,
sous. whether in the catkin stage. in
the summer. or when the cottony.look,
ing seed is being discharged and the
dunes appear as II covered with snow.
Letze. the famous Dutch botanist. was
much impressed by this growth. saying
Pc had never seen the Ike. Not that
khis willow is uncommon. but it grows
l;n such unusual profuslon here It mas