Mr Maclaren's Remarks on Natural Terraces^ cj-c. 279 



I was highly gratified to observe a number of terraces at 

 different elevations on the banks of the Tay, and generally 

 very unequivocal. They may perhaps have been described 

 before, but the descriptions have not fallen in my way. 



The first and lowest terrace constitutes the South and North 

 Inch and the flat ground on which Perth stands. The North 

 Inch, to which my observations were confined, is a plain, and 

 ■almost a dead level ; I estimated its height at ten feet above 

 the Tay at full tide. It has the appearance of an ancient 

 beach, or the outer margin of the former bed of the sea, over 

 which the tides had played for a long period. 



The Inch is bounded on the west and north sides by a well- 

 marked acclivity, only a little rounded, which seems to be an 

 ancient sea-cliff — a portion of the shore against which the 

 tides beat, previous to the last elevation of the land. 



Behind the sea-cliff is a second plain, and, like the former, 

 almost a dead level. I estimated its mean height at 12 feet 

 above the North Inch. The road to Dunkeld passes through 

 it. This was evidently a portion of the bottom of the sea at 

 a still more ancient epoch. 



It is bounded on the west side by acclivities so sharply cut 

 at some places, that the water, one might suppose, had washed 

 their bases only fifty years ago. The ancient sea-cliff runs in 

 a sinuous line, jutting out in salient capes or peninsulas at 

 some parts, and receding into little bays at others. It is well 

 seen at Tulloch Bleachfield, and some places near it. 



3. ^ 



C2f 

 h2 'J 



In the above section, h represents the present beach near 

 Perth, or that part of the bottom of the sea which is dry at low 

 water ; c the sea-cliff, or the bank of sand and gravel forming 

 its boundary ; b 1 the Inch, or ancient beach of the first epoch ; 

 c 1 its cliff or boundary ; b 2 the ancient beach of the second 

 epoch ; and c 2 its cliff or boundary. 



The country, for some miles northwai'd, is uneven, consist- 

 ing of small flattish knolls, rising from four to eight yards 



