Strata between Durlstone Head and Old Harry. 135 



lime, are depressed and squeezed out of all shape. Such ex- 

 amples, however, occur out of the Purbeck range, as in the 

 chalk-pits near Blandford, Dorset ; and at Bury St. Edmunds, 

 in Suffolk. 



Mr. Webster expressly states, that the locality of the frac- 

 tured flints at Hand-fast Point, (Ballard Point ?) is on the 

 south side, and not the east ; (p. 166, and Outlines, p. 113) : 

 so that Dr. Mitchell's landing from the boat, and finding it 

 "not so"( p. 591) does not apply to the account he comments on. 



I have now, I trust, satisfied my friend's zeal in behalf of 

 geological truth, and shewn him that I have, (by candidly 

 confessing my mistake in one instance), given the best gua- 

 rantee for my intention to state facts in others. The chief 

 object I had in view in alluding to the cliffs in question, was 

 to explain the superficial phenomena of this district ; and 

 that done, I had accomplished my intention, with what suc- 

 cess, it is not for me to suggest : but I have the opinion of a 

 geologist of some little weight, from whom I have before quo- 

 ted, and who knows the country well, to encourage me to 

 proceed in my Illustrations of the south east of Dorsetshire. 

 Professor Sedgwick, (whose permission I have to employ his 

 opinion), says ; "Your account of the collocation of the chalk 

 strata at Ballard Head, is ingenious, {Jig. 37), and, I think, 

 nearer the truth than any yet given. I did not like Web- 

 ster's ; and I was dissatisfied with Conybeare's : — not for 

 the reason you give, into which I do not enter ; " (this 

 was my objection to the denudation of the chalk in Purbeck); 

 " but, because the hypothesis seemed to violate a very general 

 rule, viz. that the drop of the beds is always on the slant side 

 of the fault line. Now, according to Conybeare's reasoning, 

 the drop must have been on the hanging side of that line. — 

 Again, do not the beds on the right hand side of the figure, 

 [Jig. 37), look exactly as if they had been dog-eared, by a 

 movement of descent rubbing their edges against the vertical 

 mass, — or, (which comes to exactly the same thing), by the 

 vertical up-cast of the vertical mass ? " 



Should Dr. Mitchell feel it worth his while to re-examine 

 this coast, I hope he will not think it necessary to take up 

 his abode at that " delightful habitation, the hotel at Swan- 

 wich," whilst he can find quarters with me. Should he, when 

 the season opens for geology, have any inclination to be con- 

 vinced, I shall be ready to shew him, that I have not studied 

 this country, by " occasional peeps from the tops of the steep 

 cliffs on shore ; " — and that, " if he will keep the eyes of his 

 understanding open," he will "be able to find such a concen- 

 tration of strata," as working labourers in the fields of expe- 



