The rivers rise to fearful height, And roll their torrents on, Until their highest banks are lost From sight, deep overflown.

Where the hills or bluffs do not rise immediately from the river, but recede some distance, the space between the river and the hill is called bottom land, from the circumstance of its being overflown annually; or having at some former period formed part of the river's bed, which is indicated by the nature of the soil.