26 GEOLOGICAL EXCUnSIOX. 



Dod, and the hills about Seamer AVater. Below u& the valley of Chapel- 

 le-dale cuts so deep into the roots of the hill, that its bottom is quite 

 hidden. To the south lay the beautiful valleys of Clapham and Austwick, 

 ending in deep ravines, which penetrate far into the hill; and to the east 

 stretches the desolate-looking trough along which flows the infant Ribble. 



We descended on the south-east where the ground falls steeply from 

 the summit to the Lower Limestone, which here forms a depression be- 

 tween Inglebro and Meughten Fells — hence it is not so dry as these moors 

 usually are; the stream which falls into Gaping Gyll hole, (formerly des- 

 cribed,) collects the water from these bog^ri. We descended into the beautiful 

 woods which fill up the little valley of Clapham, by a deep fissure in the 

 rocks, which at first close together so as only just to admit the passage 

 of one person; they soon widen into the high elifis which form the side 

 of the valley. 



Throughout the whole of this Lower Limestone district, the moors are 

 perforated by deep cavernous holes, and gaping fissures, sometimes a few^ 

 sometimes many hundred feet in depth, formed after the manner of the 

 Buttertubs; and in these sheltered spots must be sought that variety of 

 ferns to the number of thirty species, which are said to grow on Inglebro; 

 we were rather unsuccessful, for we gathered nothing of any consequence 

 except Chrysopleniuiii oppositifolium. 



We were about four hours ascending and descending, including all stop- 

 ages. On leaving Clapham our road lay along the valley to Austwick^ 

 where we turned eastward into a little cross valley watered by the Wharfe, 

 On the south side of this valley, immediately under the broken cliffs, is 

 found the northern line of dislocation of the Craven fault, where, though 

 the Lower Limestone is still found at the summit,, yet the level and dip 

 is different from that of the grand Limestone scars of Meughten Fell, 

 which form the north side of the valley, where it opens into Eibblesdale, 

 These last-named scars are peculiarly magnificent, and afford fine sections 

 of the contorted and vertical Silurian shites, with the limestone laying in 

 flat tables on their worn and upturned edges. 



The valley of the Ribble, where we crossed it at Helwith Bridge, is 

 very desolate; but the view of Pennyghent, with its grand dome-shaped 

 summit rising almost perpendicularly from the valley, and shewing its whole 

 height from the basal slates to the Millstone Grit, would take away the 

 murmur from the lip, even if the journey was fatiguing. 



Crossing the valley we ascended the hill which forms its eastern side,, 

 (it is of the same slaty rock which is found in the whole district under- 

 lying the limestone,) then turning a little southward we crossed the wild 

 moors which form the head of Airedale, and stretch away to Kettlewell 

 dale. To the lover of such scenery, and whoever he is he will not care^ 



