1822.] On the Geology of the Cliffs at Brighton, 183 



Article V. 



Remarks on the Geology of the Cliffs at Brighton, 

 (To the Editor of the Annals of Philosophy.) 



SIR, Nov. 1821. 



I AM induced to send you some observations on the geological 

 features of the chfF at Brighton, which I have extracted from 

 notes made at that place in 1817, as I find that some very extra- 

 ordinary views have been entertained of the relations of the 

 strata there visible. 



I refer particularly to an account by J. F. Daniel, Esq. FRS. 

 published in the fourth volume of the Journal of Science, edited 

 at the Royal Institution, which "records some hitherto unno- 

 ticed combinations and positions which materially affect our 

 hitherto received notions of the comparative ages of these upper 

 formations." These are the author's words, and he describes 

 (at about half-way between Brighton and Rottingdean) the very 

 remarkable appearance of a bed o^ loose pebbles in the solid chalk 

 and veins of flint passing from one part of the chalk to another 

 through the bed of pebbles without suffering any fracture or dislo- 

 cation. 



This account was published, I believe, in 1818. In the spring of 

 this year in a lecture at the Royal Institution, I heard these 

 assertions argued upon, and illustrated by drawings. Entertain- 

 ing, however, doubts as to their accuracy, I hope that you will 

 not deem the description which I send superfluous. I may be 

 in error certainly, but as what Mr. Daniel has described is, if 

 correct, of so much importance in geology, the publication of 

 my notes may induce some of the many visitors to Brighton to 

 undertake even a toilsome walk of two or three miles along its 

 shore of loose shingles to ascertain the truth between the con- 

 flicting statements. 



It will be observed that the very spot which I have described 

 (that is, half-way between Brighton and Rottingdean), as having 

 the cliff formed entirely of the solid chalk, is that where these 

 extraordinary appearances are said to occur. 



I may observe in favour of the view I have taken, that Mr. 

 Webster, in his excellent paper on the Strata lying over the 

 Chalk, published in the second volume of the Transactions of the 

 Geological Society, though he describes the peculiar structure 

 of the cliff at Brighton, takes no notice of the remarkable 

 appearances that Mr. Daniel and others dwell upon so much. 



The observations that I send, it should be noticed, were made 

 previously to Mr. Daniel's publication. Your obedient servant, 



Lndagator. 



