THE WATERS.
Land Artificially Won from the Waters—Great Works of Material
Improvement—Draining of Lincolnshire Fens—Incursions of the Sea in the
Netherlands—Origin of Sea-dikes—Gain and Loss of Land in the
Netherlands—Marine Deposits on the Coast of Netherlands—Draining of
Lake of Haarlem—Draining of the Zuiderzee—Geographical Effects
of—Improvements in the Netherlands—Ancient Hydraulic Works—Draining
of Lake Celano by Prince Torlonia—Incidental Consequences of Draining
Lakes—Draining of Marshes—Agricultural Draining—Meteorological
Effects of Draining—Geographical Effects of Draining—Geographical
Effects of Aqueducts and Canals—Antiquity of Irrigation—Irrigation in
Palestine, India, and Egypt—Irrigation in Europe—Meteorological
Effects of Irrigation—Water withdrawn from Rivers for
Irrigation—Injurious Effects of Rice-culture—Salts Deposited by Water
of Irrigation—Subterranean Waters—Artesian Wells—Artificial
Springs—Economizing Precipitation—Inundations in France—Basins of
Reception—Diversion of Rivers—Glacier Lakes—River Embankments—Other
Remedies against Inundations—Dikes of the Nile—Deposits of Tuscan
Rivers—Improvements in Tuscan Maremma—Improvements in Val di
Chiana—Coast of the Netherlands
CHAPTER V.
THE SANDS.
Origin of Sand—Sand now Carried to the Sea—Beach Sands of Northern
Africa—Sands of Egypt—Sand Dunes and Sand Plains—Coast Dunes—Sand
Banks—Character of Dune Sand—Interior Structure of Dunes—Geological
Importance of Dunes—Dunes on American Coasts—Dunes of Western
Europe—Age, Character, and Permanence of Dunes—Dunes as a Barrier
against the Sea—Encroachments of the Sea—Liimfjord—Coasts of
Schleswig-Holstein, Netherlands, and France—Movement of Dunes—Control
of Dunes by Man—Inland Dunes—Inland Sand Plains
CHAPTER VI.
GREAT PROJECTS OF PHYSICAL CHANGE ACCOMPLISHED OR PROPOSED BY MAN.
Cutting of Isthmuses—Canal of Suez—Maritime Canals in Greece—Canals
to Dead Sea—Canals to Libyan Desert—Maritime Canals in Europe—Cape
Cod Canal—Changes in Caspian—Diversion of the Nile—Diversion of the
Rhine—Improvements in North American Hydrography—Soil below
Rock—Covering Rock with Earth—Desert Valleys—Effects of
Mining—Duponchel's Plans of Improvement—Action of Man on the
Weather—Resistance to Great Natural Forces—Incidental Effects of Human
Action—Nothing Small In Nature