Irttrro to Of Man
THE FRENCH INUNDATIONS.
24th Tune 1856.
Sra—Is Mr. Bridges Adams right about the causes of the inundations in France ? He argues upon a narrow basis of facts. I know the country . pretty well which has been the scene of each of the floods, and I must say ' have no confidence in his explanation. He only professes to account for the floods of the Rhone - and e places the cause in the Valais,—a very sta-
-tionary district, rather, I should say, in decadence than otherwise, and not likely to have been subjected to any very sudden or recent change as to its timber. I think it probable that Switzerland is more heavily timbered now than it was half a century ago, when the French drew their supplies from that country. Mr. Adams adverts to the slide of Alpnach, which was con- structed to supply the French demand, but which ceased to be used soon after the peace, when sea-borne timber could be had. Perhaps Mr. Adams has confounded the Valais with Piedmont, which in the year 1846 was re- lieved from the stringency of the forest laws, one consequence of which has been the felling of trees in immense numbers. But if the effect -which Mr. Adams attributes to such changes had occurred, they would have been felt upon the Po, which exclusively receives the watershed of that country. Whether the alleged consequence has followed or not, I am unable to say positively; but I never heard that it had, as I think I should have heard when I was in Italy. But, supposing the change in the Valais to have oc- ounnd, and the alleged consequence to have followed, Geneva would have been the first town to suffer; the outlet of the Rhone 'being very narrow as it passes from the lake through the city. Now I have heard of no floods at Genera. Certainly none of any great magnitude can have occurred with- out my attention having been called to them. Again, no change in the Valais could affect either the Saone or the Loire. For a long period the French have been eareful to preserve their timber : it is cut down by rule, so 118 to keep the supply pretty equal ; and I have a strong impression that the Cevennes and Auvergne, although I have never visited them, are sta- tionary districts.; . which would furnish an additional reason against the hypothesis of sudden change affecting the Loire and its main affluents. I know nothing, either, to affect the head-waters of the Saone, Ivor indeed of the Seine, which has felt the influence of the great cause, whateter it may
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