The chief rivers of Norfolk are those which contri bute to form its boundary, and have already been enu merated. The Great Ouse rises near Brackley in North amptonshire: after being joined by the Lark and the Cam, it changes its course from north-east to north, receives the little Ouse from the cast, and flows be tween Cambridgeshire and Norfolk till within a short distance of its termination, when, having entered the latter county, and being farther augmented by the Nar from the eastward, it falls into the sea about two miles below the harbour of Lynn. The length of its coursc is estimated at sixty miles; through twenty-four of these it is navigable for barges; boats ascend it as far as Bed ford. Lynn-deells, as its mouth is named, affords good anchorage for large vessels, and is much frequented by them. The Ouse flows so gently, that it resembles a canal, and well nigh equals 011e in regard to utility for trade ; by means of it, Norfolk enjoys a comtnunication with no fewer than seven inland counties ; but. to coun terbalance this advantage, the same peculiarity renders it extremely subject to inundation. About the equinoxes in particular, and especially at the full moon of the au tumnal one, it is liable to a species of flood, which, from its impetuosity, the inhabitants are accustomed to denominate an eager. The tide flows up the channel with extraordinary fury, overwhelming every obstacle, and frequently causing extensive mischief; even the water-fowls shun it on such occasions. Next in im portance to the Great Ouse is the Yare, at the mouth of which stands the principal sea-port of the county. Like the Humber, this stream has no particular source, hut forms the trunk in which a number of subsidiary rivers unite. Of these, the chief are the IVensunz, which rises near \Vest Rudharn, and, flowing to the eastward, passes the city of Norwich, and partly environs it ; the Mire, which rises on the north side of the county, near Ilin dowelston; and the IVaveny, which rises on the south side near Lopham, and running in a curved direction, forms the boundary of Suffolk through its course. At the same Lopharn, as we have already observed, rises also the Little Ouse, which, proceeding to the oppo site quarter, completes the northern boundary of Suf folk. It joins the Great Ouse at Littleport, atnong fens on the borders of Cambridgeshire, being navigable as far as 'flied-pH, where it receives the Thet.
Like the Great Ouse, these other rivers, rising among swamps, and flowing through a level country, proceed at a very slow rate, and contribute to keep the adjacent lands in a wet state, and to infect the atmosphere with vapours. In some instancts, their progress being ob structed by the accumulation of mud and rubbish in their channels, they have spread themselves over their banks, and formed in their passage various sheets of shallow and almost stagnant water, which, in the pro vincial dialect, are termed broads and meres. These metes occur chiefls in the district from which the Yare is fed. Breedon Broad, the largest of them, measuring three miles in length by one in breadth, lies at the junc tion of the Waveny and lVensuin, where the Yare is said to begin. One or two of nearly equal dimensions, and several of smaller, occur in the same neig-hbour hood ; a few in other parts of the county. They are
plentifully supplied with fish and aquatic birds. In the fenny districts, also, many tempolaiy lakes are formed during winter, and resorted to by multitudes of wild_ fowls, for catching which it is usual to ercct decoys all around.
The general structure of Norfolk is well suited for the formation of canals ; but the number of its deep and smooth livers in a great measure supersedes their utility. Except a short cut from Wisbeach to the Nen, intersecting a small part of the county, and another from Eau-bank to Lynn, the improvements on inland navigation have been limited, in Norfolk, to widening and cleaning the natural channels, and in a few in stances constructing sluices on them. Private estates in the vicinity of such a stream are often furnished with a little canal, by which they communicate with it, for transporting their corn, and bringing back their manure.
In regard to the nature of its soil, this county exhi bits considerable variety. The predotninant ingredi ents are sand and clay, intermixed in different propor tions—at one time forming a compound so light and arid, that it even dlifts in the wind, and is almost bare of vegetation—at another, a stiff tenacious kind of land, distinguished for the number and copiousness of its springs. The former characteristic prevails in thc south ern and western districts of the county, the latter (tnuch less extensively) in the interior to the east and south east or Norwich. North and north-east of that city, for several miles, the finest combination is met with ; it is a sandy loam, resembling that of Belgium, and equal in value to the most fel tile pelts of it. In some quar ters of the coast, as at Maishland, near the Wash, and about the mouths of the Waveny and Yare, the ground is formed of ooze by deposition from the sea ; unless se cured by embankments, as is the case in Marshland, it is generally overflowed during the wet months, and re quires to be drained in spring before it can be used as pasture, for which it is then peculiarly adapted. In the south-west extremity of the county, there is, moreover, a portion of that immense fenny tract which extends into all the neighbouring counties. It had long been There are no minerals of importance in Norfolk; no metallic ores, no coals have been discovered; indeed, the geological structure of the ground nearly precludes the hope of finding any. The layer of clunch or indu rated chalk, which occurs every where beneath the sur face, appears to cover all the more productive beds of rock, and even to render it uncertain whether they cxist here. The clunch itself is burnt for lime, or used in the natural state, as a building stone. A more durable substance, used also for the latter purpose, is the black flint, which is found in masses, imbedded in a softer stratum of chalk, that lies above the clunch. lany houses in Norwich are formed of this material; it is brought from Mousehold-heath, where it is dug out of pits. Brick is much more extensively employed ; and clay of excellent quality, for making it, abounds in va rious quarters. There occurs likewise some clay well fitted for earthen ware.