48 S 11 O L L A N D.
. - o y . . i
Natiira^
Curiofities.
dam fea-fan d was difcovered at the 'depth of more thanmroo feet,
a proof, that in primitive:ages the land had encroached upon the fea,
which afterwards relumed a part o f its rights. On the. other hand in
digging the marfhes trees have been found at a cpnlidérable depthr
often w ith ' their heads towards, the E. as i f they had yielded, to the
fury of the weftern w in d s .-T h e umber or ligneous, earth; fometimes
ufed by thé Dutch to adulterate their fnufl- is notva native produa,
but is brought, from the vicinity o f Cologne, where it^ce,%rsifn - valt
beds, and is fometimes even ufedj for f ir in g .T h e | Dutch pot only,
procure peat from thèmpraifes, but alfp.from, die bottoms of the rivers
by droging up the ^mudj. whichtJPt'elspnf^tO d?yi ,Pthilfenihöï^^hfA
cut into (mail pieces^ and again dried, for <rMP a are
here known.; and dhere- are few; .uncommon) appeargnces ofnatnrp,
though the whole country may be deemed an.'ar-tificialhc^i^ from
the number of canalg, and from the vaft. dykes 'ereéfed to^exdjude- the
fea. Thefe are often protested by a cOverifigr of •rulhe.s,3ttro.hgty
fattened with wood; yet .fometimes dreadful ..inundations have .taken
place, an evil which long experience feems lattdriy tbf l^e>, t|tnght.'them
to prevent.