Geographical Collections. 43 



opening when compared with the others, a short distance beyond which, occurs 

 a pile of disjointed strata, supporting the roof, and allowing on each side th« 

 passage of the water, to where the sides approach so as to leave only a few feet in 

 width ; beyond this the cavern widens again, forming a chamber of unequal di- 

 mensions, wliose floor is strewed with sea-weed and rolled pebbles. There are 

 two more caverns, mere indentures in tlie rock, or widenings of clefts in the strata 

 —one of them is deep and narrow, having in its course several successive con- 

 tractions. The relation of its aspect to the dip and direction of the strata is also 

 different to that of the larger caverns, which fact, however, does not appear to have 

 much influence upon its form. The bituminous shale, after becoming more car. 

 boniferous in the succession of caverns, soon presents the appearance of a bed of 

 coal, and is attended by others of a similar nature, coursing in a parallel direc- 

 tion. In the last cavern sandstone is found forming the roof in an irregular and 

 angular mass beneath this bed of coal. The bay contained between the caves and 

 the next westerly headland, known by the name of Snipe Point, though possessing 

 a sandy beach, has everywhere a flat and ])retty level stony bottom, thp strata 

 forming it consisting generally of bituminous shale, interrupted sometimes by 

 sandstone, whicli, in one or two spots, is fractured into pretty regular polygonal 

 compartments. Snipe Point is constituted by a succession of boulder stones and 

 jutting rocks, which form islands at low water, and are tlie abode of many marine 

 animals. The shore now stretches out in one continuous line to the Snuke, or 

 more westerly point of the island — and, with the exception of a small fresh water 

 pool near the extreme point, the whole of this part of the land is composed of 

 varying plains and transitory hills of sand. At first, its breadth, that is to say, 

 the distance from the sea to the inland bay is very insignificant, not exceeding in 

 its narrowest part a distance of 500 yards. The hills are, however, pretty sta- 

 tionary, and generally covered with a luxuriant crop of bent grass. The manner 

 in which this grass operates, though, often alluded to, has never been perfectly 

 described ; and it is owing to this fact that such conflicting opinions on its effi- 

 cacy in stopping the progress of sands have arisen. Like most monocotylodenous 

 and many dicotyledonous plants, it possesses the property of always shooting out, 

 to overtop the accumulation of sand or soil that may be deposited round its stalk, 

 the buried part becoming blanched, like all vegetable structures deprived of light. 

 If the quantity of sand deposited by the action of the wind does not exceed the 

 growing power of the grass, which, overtopping the flood, can stop it in its pro- 

 gress, flowering amidst new liills and plains, scattering its fertile seeds to assist 

 in binding them down, and staying their mischievous advances, its adaptation 

 must be attended with the greatest success ; but when the ocean, as in the Bay of 

 Biscay, brings on the shores great quantities of sand, that, rapidly dried, move with 

 giant strides across a land tributary to their power, where, in a short lapse of time, 

 they can in their progress bury forests, or destroy the moimments of art and 

 industry — such feeble means of opposition become perfectly useless, and the plans 

 that are put in force must be adapted to the great extent and influence of these 

 powerful agents. 



Certainly there are no parts of the coast of Great Britain better adapted for the 

 growth of the fir-tree than the nortliern shores of Holy Island ; and where, at the same 

 time, their plantation would be attended with more benefit, and, finally, with 

 more profit to tlie proprietor ; the quantity of land which, by a little industry, 

 might be gained is very great ; and many advantages to the climate, vegetation, and 

 soil, would flow from a change in tlie geographical relations of the island. We 

 hope that our having mentioned the practicability will call the attention of others 

 to the execution. 



From the augitic rocks on which the town and castle are built, and which 

 form the northern extremity of the island, the outline is formed of rocks, head- 

 lands, sandy beaches, and cavernous cliffs, in succession, till we arrive at where, 

 branching from the rocky formations, the sands advance in a prominent point, 

 as if in progress to join the shores of the main land. This is a profitless un- 

 cultivated part of the island, covered with bent grass, waving its slender leaves 



