It would appear, that the finest portion, at least apparently so, of the north temperate zone, between the parallels of 30° and 48° latitude, when nearly of the level of the ocean, is not so favourable for human existence as the more northern part between 50° and 60°, or even the torrid zone. The native of the north of Europe has a superior development of person, and a much longer reproductory life than the native of the south, which more than counterbalances the earlier maturity of the latter in power of increase. Independent of the great current of population setting south in the northern part of the temperate zone, there seems even to be some tendency to a flux northward, from the confines of the torrid; but this arises rather from the unsteadiness of the seasons, and consequent deficit of food, at particular times, than from a steady increase of population. {376}
NOTE D, p. [4].
Our milder moods, benevolence, gentleness, contemplation—our refinement in sentiment—our “lovely dreams of peace and joy,” have negative weight in the balance of national strength. The rougher excitement of hatred, ambition, pride, patriotism, and the more selfish passions, is necessary to the full and strong development of our active powers. That Britain is leaving the impress of her energy and morality on a considerable portion of the world, is owing to her having first borne fire and sword over these countries: the husbandman tears up the glebe, with all its covering of weeds and flowers, before he commit his good seed to the earth. Life and death—good and evil—pleasure and pain, are the principles of impulse to the scheme or machine of nature, as heat and cold are to the steam-engine, thus moving in necessary alternate dependence. Our moral sense, our perception and love of good, could not exist without the knowledge of evil; yet, we shudder at the truth of evil being part and portion of nature.
NOTE E.
There cannot be a more striking proof of the necessity of a better representation of the marine interest, than the fact, that our trading vessels are constructed of an {377} unsuitable figure, owing to the improper manner of measuring the register tonnage. In order to save a little trouble of calculation to the surveying officer in gauging the contents of the vessel, the law directs him merely to take the length and breadth at the widest place, and from these lines, by a regular formula, to compute the tonnage; the vessel paying the charges for lights and harbours, and other dues, in proportion to this measurement. The result is, that, in order to lessen these dues individually, our vessels are constructed deep in proportion to breadth, consequently are sluggish sailers, and not nearly so safe and pleasant sea-boats as they otherwise would be—many a ship, especially with light cargo, getting on her beam-ends and foundering, or not standing up under canvass to weather a lee shore. The influence of this absurd measurement law is the more unlucky, as the ship-owner, from a deep vessel being, in proportion to the capacity of the hold, cheaper than one of shallower or longer dimensions, is already more disposed to construct his vessel deeper than is consistent with the safety of the seamen and security of the ship and cargo, the particular insurance of a deep vessel not being greater than that of one of safer proportions. The injurious effect from vessels being constructed on the principles of avoiding tolls or dues, rather than for sailing, will occur to every one. We need not say that all this flows from the ignorance or carelessness of the constructors of our Parliamentary acts, consequent to defective representation. {378}
NOTE F.
In the case of the upper carse on the Tay Firth, there is evidence, both from its vestiges and from records, that it had occupied, at least, the entire firth, or sea-basin, above Broughty Ferry, and that about 50 square miles of this carse has been carried out into the German Ocean by the strong sea-tide current, a consequence of the lowering of the German Ocean, and of the deepening of the outlet of this sea-basin at Broughty Ferry, apparently by this very rapid sea-tide current. This carse appears to have been a general deposition at the bottom of a lake having only a narrow outlet communicating with the sea, and probably did not rise much higher than the height of the bottom of the outlet at that time.
An increase of deposition of alluvium, or prevention of decrease, may, in many cases, be accomplished by artificial means. The diminution of the carse of the Tay was in rapid progress about sixty years ago, the sea-bank being undermined by the waves of the basin, the clay tumbling down, becoming diffused in the water, and being carried out to sea, by every ebbing tide, purer water returning from the ocean the next tide-flow. This decrease was stopped by the adoption of stone embanking and dikes. A small extension of the carses of present high-water level, in the upper part of the firths of Tay and Forth, has lately been effected, by forming brushwood, stone and mud dikes, to promote the accumulation. {379} In doing this, the whole art consists in placing obstructions to the current and waves, so that whatever deposition takes place at high-water, or at the beginning of the flood-tide, when the water is nearly still, may not again be raised and carried off.
Notwithstanding this accumulation, and also the prevention of further waste of the superior carse, the deepening of the Tay Firth, formerly carse, and of the gorge at Broughty Ferry, seems still in progress, and could not, without very considerable labour, be prevented. In the case, however, of the sea-basin of Montrose, a little labour, from the narrowness of the gorges, would put it in a condition to become gradually filled with mud. Not a great deal more expenditure than what has sufficed to erect the suspension-bridge over its largest outlet, would have entirely filled up this outlet, and the smaller outlet might have been also filled to within several feet of high-water, and made of sufficient breadth only, to emit the water of the river, which flows into the basin. The floated sand and mud of this river, thus prevented from being carried out to sea, would, in the course of years, completely fill up the basin.
From some vestiges of the upper carse, as well as of the lower or submarine carse, in situations where their formation cannot easily be traced to any local cause, it seems not improbable that the basin of the German sea itself, nearly as far north as the extent of Scotland, had at one time been occupied with a carse or delta, a continuation of Holland, formed by the accumulation of the {380} diluvium of the rivers which flow into this basin, together with the molluscous exuviæ of the North Sea, and the abrasion of the Norwegian coast and Scottish islands, borne downward by the heavy North Sea swell.