THE 



LONDON and EDINBURGH 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE 



AND 



JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



[THIRD SERIES.] 



APRIL 1833. 



XXXIX, Notice of a Submarine Forest in Cardigan Bay, 



By the Rev. James Yates, M.A. F.L. $ G.S.* 

 A LTHOUGH several ancient Welch writers, as well as 

 ^*- some modern antiquaries, have alluded to the submarine 

 forest in Cardigan Bay, I believe no geologist has given any 

 account of it, if we except a brief reference in Mr. Arthur 

 Aikin's Tour in North Wales (p. 56.). 



This forest extends many miles along the coast of Meri- 

 onethshire and Cardiganshire, being divided into two parts by 

 the estuary of the Dovey. The northern portion, extending 

 towards Barmouth, is considerably longer than the southern, 

 which extends in the direction of Aberystwith. 



The coast is here covered with sands, dry at low water, which 

 seem to owe their formation to the junction of the river Dovey 

 with the sea. Borth Sands, to which I shall chiefly confine my 

 description, constitute the southern and shorter of the two di- 

 visions. 



These sands are bounded on the land-side by a wall of 

 shingles, extending about two miles from Borth to Moel-Ynys. 

 The waters of the river Lery partly discharge themselves into 

 the sea by oozing through the wall, and are in part diffused 

 over a tract of bog and marsh land, which forms the north- 

 western angle of Cardiganshire. 



The submarine forest consists of low stumps of trees, which 

 evidently retain their original position. Some of them have 

 long curling roots, which radiate over the surface of the shore. 

 The stratum of soil, in which they grew, is now covered with 

 a bed of peat, and the stems of many of them are seen rising 



* Read before the Geological Society of London; and communicated by 

 the Author, with the permission of the Council. 



Third Series. Vol. 2. No. 10. April 1833. 2 I 



